Easter and Passover in a 'world turned upside down' as churches and synagogues close
Many Christian and Jewish houses of worship are shuttered this week as congregations celebrate the Easter and Passover holidays online while practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ultimately the Episcopal cathedral, one of the largest in the world, shuttered its doors indefinitely as the pandemic escalated, the first time the 128-year-old New York City landmark has done so in its modern history. Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, is broadcasting Shabbat services to congregants in the safety of their homes through a live stream. Senior Rabbi Serge Lippe held a Passover Seder with dozens of participants through video conference on the platform Zoom. While Lippe, 55, was grateful to engage with his community, he compared the experience to being underwater due to the time lag and limitations on hearing.
But the sharing of bread and wine, the core of the service, cannot be done remotely. "What we do on Sunday is Holy Communion which is a very personal and intimate experience and all of that is now taken from us," Malloy said. Marsha Ra, who has attended St. John the Divine for 47 years, said the health crisis is frightening as members of the congregation have lost loved ones to the virus. Ra, 78, is concerned about catching the virus herself because she has pre-existing conditions. Amidst the fear and uncertainty, she has found comfort in the Zoom services, which she described as "incredibly moving," despite frustrating technical problems at times.
St. John the Divine formed a group in which each person was given a list of congregation members to call and check in on. Ra spoke to a young medical student who expressed how he was lonely and frustrated that his board exam had been postponed. She also called a young woman whose confirmation in the church has been postponed now that the cathedral is closed. The young woman asked Ra to add several family members who are sick with the virus to the prayer list.
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