Dear Har Zion Members and Friends,
 
What a strange, unprecedented, and terrifying time this is for each and every one of us. And, yet, it is also filled with incredible compassion for one another and wonder for the miracle of human connection. It is at this very moment, when we are mandated to separate from one another and remain alone, that we realize how vital our day-to-day, mundane connections are. Through the phone, through the internet, and through acts of lovingkindness, we are scratching and clawing to be closer to one another. Over the past two weeks at Har Zion, we have seen this through online classes, online prayer services, hundreds of phone calls, and dozens of deliveries of food and health supplies. On a very basic  – and very deep  – level, we know that our survival depends on this interconnectedness. Those deliveries of compassion are as vital to the giver as the receiver. We need to care. We need to connect. We need to give. Community keeps us alive, energizes us, and animates us.
 
As I mention in my Rosh Hodesh Nisan message , the Hebrew month of Nisan is the beginning of our calendar year because it brings us Passover, which marks the creation of the Jewish people. Our year begins with peoplehood, with community. While our community still very much exists this Passover, it is strange and different. We will have to fight for it a bit more. But, we Jews have been in this position many times throughout our history. Through some of the darkest episodes in the history of our people, our ancestors used their creativity, their will, their devotion to God, and their love of their neighbors to create Passover where it seemed impossible. And, we look back on those heroic ancestors with awe and reverence because they turned sorrow into meaning and sadness into hope. This year, it is our chance to be heroic. It is upon us to be a link in the chain of tradition and to allow our actions to stand for the indomitable spirit of our people. We get to teach our children and grandchildren about perseverance, hope, and the right to joy. And, in a time when Judaism in America is losing its voice of relevance and significance, we get to shout something beautiful out into the universe. This will be the Passover experience of our Har Zion community, and we will help you to create this experience in your homes as well.
 
While we are sad to not be able to host everyone at Har Zion Temple for a Community Seder, we are eager to host everyone who is interested, at Har ZiONLINE for a Virtual Community Seder on the second night. Early this coming week, you will see a link on the Har Zion homepage that will connect you to all of our offerings for this upcoming holiday of Passover. When you click on that link, you will be able to sign up for the Virtual Community Seder on Thursday, April 9. You will also be able to sell your hametz ,* participate in festival prayer services, access resources to learn about Passover, participate in the siyyum , search for hametz , kasher your home, maximize the intimate family experience, access haggadot , and prepare a seder. You will find new ways to bring holiness and guests to your Passover holiday and to your seder table.
 
*Please take advantage of the opportunity to sell, rather than discard, your hametz . Because we do not know the availability of food resources in the coming weeks, I encourage you not to dispose of your extra hametz , but to close it up into a selected closet or room and leave that space closed for the duration of the holiday. This is not the year to throw away good food that will last beyond the holiday. As always, the food that you sell through Har Zion will revert back to your ownership immediately after the eighth day ends. Please remember that it is a mitzvah to prioritize your health over kashrut , especially in times of danger. Our Har Zion staff and I are available to answer any questions.  
 
May we arrive at this Passover healthy and well, and with gratitude for our families, loved ones, friends, and for our Har Zion community. May God bless all those whose Passover offerings are gifts of compassion and companionship to others, and may we merit God’s presence and abundant love at each one of our seders.
 
Hag Kasher v’Sameakh,

Rabbi Seth Haaz