Have a safe Passover
Sadly for a second year running everyone celebrating Passover is again going to have to mark this important festival differently due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.
This year Passover takes place from Saturday 27 March to Sunday 4 April. The usual customs for the holiday will need to be adapted, to keep everyone safe and prevent the spread of coronavirus. While some Covid rules are likely to change on 29 March, restrictions on indoor activities will remain.
Passover or Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, having Seder meals, retelling the story of the Exodus and taking part in a spring cleaning of the home.
At the start of Passover families and friends would usually get together for an evening meal and a special service called a Seder. This year, due to coronavirus laws, people can only celebrate at home with the people they live with and those in their support bubble, because it still remains against the rules for visitors to enter your home. When attending Shul, people will need to ensure they keep 2m away from people they do not live with or are not in a bubble with, wear a face mask or covering and follow ‘hands, face, space’.
I want to wish everyone celebrating in Hackney and across the world, a Chag Pesach Sameach. I know this is very difficult as it marks the second Passover where family and friends have had to celebrate apart. I would like to thank everyone for ensuring that Purim passed safely, and while I know Passover is very different, the need to follow the rules will remain. However there is light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccination roll-out, and if we continue to keep apart now it means we will be able to celebrate again with our loved ones sooner and in safety. Until we see an end to the pandemic and all the restrictions are lifted we will still need to remember ‘hands, face, space’ and keep each other safe.
I want to wish everyone a Happy Passover. It is really important to follow the rules in order to keep your family safe from coronavirus. I know infection rates are now low in Hackney and some people will have already had their vaccines, but until we have all been vaccinated, lockdown rules have ended and the epidemic is over in the UK, we still have to remain cautious so that we don’t unwittingly spread the virus, which can make vulnerable people extremely ill. Please remember to keep 2m away from those you do not live with and remember to get a test if you think you might have symptoms of the virus such as a cough, fever, or change to your sense of taste or smell. If we all do these things, hopefully we will all soon be out of lockdown and able to celebrate safely again with our friends and family.