With the world definitely spinning like a dreidel, celebrating holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah is going to be very different. Traditionally this represents the start of a Jewish new year. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated in two days, Aseret Yemei Teshuvah and Yamin Noraim. At the conclusion of this holiday a fasting period called Yom Kippur. Many communities worldwide, will have to Instacart their groceries or give up traditional foods such as challah. This bread, which is typically sipped honey, may not be easy to find in the comfort of one’s home. Shalom Lamm, an experienced real estate agent and pillar in his Jewish community, has expressed how different 2020 Rosh Hashanah will be. In many households, going on a pilgrimage is a common activity for Rosh Hashanah Uman. Due to COVID-19, Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine has strictly limited the entry pilgrims to Hasids. From there they travel to Uman to complete their holiday celebrations. It is without a doubt that families will be devastated that the Prime Minister of Israel and the President made this decision records ronaldshapiro.com.
However, if there were thousands of pilgrims traveling, the likelihood of the virus spreading is high. This image is taken from The Times of Isreal to clearly show the volume of people celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Many politicians are still afraid that although such activities are now banned, people will continue to go to the streets.
“It’s very hard to see such a monumental holiday getting stripped down to something of less value. However, I and my Jewish community understand that to restore the world to its peace, we must remain safe and celebrate inside.” –Shalom Lamm
With more policies being made surrounding the pandemic, it is important to remember the true meaning of Rosh Hashanah. Yes, it is beautiful when families celebrate and buy traditional foods from Jewish markets. But Rosh Hashanah is a new beginning and key to remember the love in such a holiday. Please be safe this year, celebrate while guaranteed, and Mazal Tov.