The spring holiday season is almost upon us, with holidays like Passover, Easter and even spring break coming up quickly on the calendar, but with the continued COVID-19 pandemic, they will all look and feel different than in years past.
Earlier this week, Manitoba’s chief public health official Dr. Brent Roussin advised Manitobans to stick to public health orders, despite the temptations around warm weather and the desire to connect with friends and family.
“Manitobans are starting to make their plans for spring break, Easter, Passover,” Roussin said, but “Public Health continues to advise against non-essential travel.
“Easter and Passover are very common times for families to get together. We need to be cautious. We can think back to issues we had following Thanksgiving.”
For faith leaders, navigating health orders during religious holidays can be difficult but is essential to keep the virus at bay.
Rabbi Yosef Benarroch, of Winnipeg’s Adas Yeshurun Herzlia Congregation, told 680 CJOB he celebrated Passover solo last year due to the pandemic, and is expecting a similar situation when the holiday begins on Saturday.
“In a million years, I never thought that would happen, but it did.
“This year, I will be gathering with my brother and my sister-in-law, so it’ll be the three of us — that’s a lot smaller than we’re used to.”
Benarroch, who actually lives in Israel but spends time in Winnipeg in six-week increments throughout the year, said despite the challenges, he expects members of his community to adhere to health guidelines.
“Most of our community is very rules-oriented. I think people will celebrate in much smaller gatherings this year,” he said.
“We have a year of experience already, so we know what it was like last year. We’re a community-based religion — and I think all faith communities are like that — so it’s a very big challenge when you have limitations in terms of how you can celebrate.
“For me, personally, I just accepted the fact that this is how it’s going to be, and I tried to make the best of it.”
Benarroch said online tools like Zoom have become essential when it comes to keeping in touch with members of his congregation during the pandemic, but nothing beats the real thing.
“There’s nothing that replaces in-person… That, I think, can’t be replaced.”
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