Next Year, Together

I like to think of myself as being culturally-Jewish, in the sense that I want to uphold the holidays, customs, foods, and traditions as a way of maintaining the Jewish identity. Passover is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate as it combines several unique traditions (i.e., Jews were washing their hands multiple times during the seder before everyone else was) with unique food. I also appreciate Passover as it makes you think. Thinking about what food is kosher for Passover, thinking about what is the meaning of the holiday, and finally, thinking about what it must be like not to have a choice when it comes to what food to eat or when your next meal might come. Passover only lasts seven or eight days, depending on your beliefs, and as such, we know when we’ll be able to eat leavened food products again. What we don’t know is when we’ll be able to go outside, hug a loved one, go out to eat at a restaurant, and effectively live normal lives again.

Before the quarantine began, my mom and I excitedly shared ideas about the Passover menu. Brisket or chicken? To buy or make Matzo ball soup? Decisions and choices seemed endless. Fast-forward a few weeks, my mom and I were talking about how this would be the first time we didn’t share a seder together, aside from when I was in college. There would be no hiding of the Afikomen, no drinking multiple glasses of wine or grape juice, and no opportunity to sit around a table with family. The changes were necessary but unfortunate. Despite the cancellations and change of plans, Passover still happened. We still ate matzah, we still asked the four questions, and we still committed to this unique tradition. We still fought for what we believed in, we still remembered traditions, and we found ways to come together despite being far apart. This moment showed me that we will come out of this. Things will be different, and life may change, but any day where we have the opportunity to come together virtually, in-person, or through shared beliefs and customs, is a step in the right direction.

At the end of the Passover seder, it is common to say “Next Year in Jerusalem” as a nod to the Jewish past where many Jewish people were separated around the globe. Considering social distancing and the problematic nature of referring to Israel, its complicated history, and current events, I’d like to propose a change: “Next Year, Together.”