Last night was different from all other nights.
I joined a virtual seder in hosted by the Seattle JVP chapter. There were more than 140 people “attending” from all over the country and Canada. Different people in Seattle led different parts of the seder from their separate homes. The seder was held via Zoom, and there were a couple of times when we broke into small groups to make it feel more like sitting around a table. I was in groups with people from Seattle and around the country, taking part in two different groups.
It was a lovely seder, with wonderful poetry and music, including unmuting all of us for a final cacaphonous chorus of Dayenu. The technology had its glitches, as it always does, but allowed for screen sharing when we were reading together, and either speaker focus or gallery view as we wanted, at other times.
I have loved seders my whole adult life (growing up, my family always had the meal without the ceremony), and, more than at any other time, when I’m at one I feel connected to Jews all over the world who are doing the same thing. And here I was, alone in my house, with a minimal number of ritual items on hand, visibly joined with Jews from so many different places, taking part in a beautiful ceremonial meal. Being together was more than just a feeling.
Technology is such a mixed blessing. This year many family, community, and synagogue seders happened virtually. My shul had a funeral earlier this week and sent an email asking for a virtual minyan. I saw a cartoon with a pair of grandparents sitting at a table set with a seder plate, candles, matzot, and a computer screen with a gallery of faces of children and grandchildren.
What on earth would we all be doing now without the internet? I can’t even imagine the isolation without being able to check on people around the country (and some in other countries) and to take part in special events being streamed especially at this time.
Chag sameach Pesach, shabbat shalom, and stay well.
