Memorable changes on Passover at Congregation Tifereth Israel

Rabbi Irwin Huberman, Congregation Tifereth Israel’s spiritual leader, said that if it was not for the ongoing health emergency, this period would actually be a rather interesting time in history. 

“In effect, we’ve become a virtual synagogue and what we have found is by using platforms such as Zoom and Facebook, we’ve actually experienced a doubling, or in some cases a tripling, of participating by congregants,” said Huberman. “Perhaps at a time when so many are socially isolated, it provides a regular gathering point.” 

In the interest of caution and safety CTI, which is in Glen Cove, canceled all in-person programs and services until further notice. Federal, state and local social distancing guidelines will continue into April, which will affect the celebration of Passover, which began on April 8. 

The Passover, according to Chabad.org, a website that serves members of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement and those of the Jewish faith worldwide, lasts for eight days or seven days in Israel. It commemorates the emancipation of Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Because the Israelites ate unleavened bread when they left Egypt, part of the observance of Passover is to avoid any food or drink that has wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or those derivatives. 

The Seder is a feast of 15 steps and rituals that includes matzah, eating bitter herbs to remember the slavery endured by the Israelites, drinking four cups of wine or grape juice to celebrate freedom and the recitation of the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. 

Part of that story described when God, with Moses as His representative, brought 10 plagues upon Egyptians until they agreed to release the Jewish people from their land.

This year during a period of the coronavirus, the story takes on another meaning. “There’s 10 plagues, now we have an eleventh,” Huberman said. “So, this year, the plagues are not just something we remember from 3,500 years ago. Now we can relate to what a plague actually is today.

The coronavirus takes the message of Passover to a new level, Huberman said, because it becomes more personal. “We can actually ponder the fragility of life,” he said, “and what it’s like to be free and hopefully healthy.” 

And with this newfound experience of what a plague actually means, also comes the inability to partake in yearly traditions, such as sharing the Seder meal with family. 

“Like Easter, it’s family gatherings and this year, there are no family gatherings” said Phyllis Spector, a congregant and the ritual vice president at CTI. But, she added, congregants across CTI will not be celebrating alone. 

Instead, there will be two separate opportunities to bring in the tradition together. Huberman, along with his family, will partake in the Seder in front of a webcam so that congregants can watch while they do the Seder from their homes. Cantor Gustavo Gitlin will also be leading a Seder with his family that is geared more towards children. 

Gitlin will be hosting activities during the Seder such as a 10 plague scavenger hunt. He’ll also be asking the children what modern plagues society faces today and will discuss gratitude or the “Dayenu.”

“It would have been for God to have given us freedom, to have given us the Torah and have taken us out of Egypt, but now we are adding to this song of gratitude,” Gitlin said. “Our doctors and nurses, the teachers and of course the internet and WiFi. The kids usually have a fun time referring to other things. Somebody will probably say toilet paper.”