Rabbi Roodyn

The last few months have been both emotionally exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.

The build-up to the general election and the threat of Labour Anti-Semitism shook Anglo Jewry to its core, challenging most of its working assumptions about our status and security here in the UK.  The initial stalemate surrounding Brexit and our subsequent departure from the EU has brought its own brand of uncertainty, with us not knowing what the effect will be on the economy and our day to day lives.

And now this, as I write these lines, I am confined to our home together with our family. This is an exciting opportunity, one that brings with it its own unique challenges, stresses and pleasures. At the same time, schools are shutting down, GCSEs and A levels are postponed. Supermarket shelves are laid bare by people panic buying. And we, like so many other communities have taken the incredibly painful decision to shut our Shul. The disruption to day to day life is something akin to wartime. We are living in historic times and we have no idea what the ending will be and when it will come. Yet as humans, we are versatile, we adapt and learn how to cope with the new normal.

Shuls have been part of Jewish life since the start of the Second Temple period. They have been the single most important innovation in maintaining Jewish life over the last 2000 years. Shul is more than just a place to daven; it is a Beis Knesses, a place to gather, a focal point for community. A place to express our religious identity. A sacred space to talk, to Hashem and to each other (though hopefully not at the same time!). Shul is a constant in all of our lives, whether we attend daily, weekly or even less frequently. When that is taken away we are left with a gaping hole. The absence of Shul in our lives is something we can never allow to become normal.

In the meantime, the focus of our Yiddishkeit shifts to our homes. In a way, this is most appropriate with Pesach around the corner, because Pesach is all about the home.  It is the one Yom Tov when the main service takes place around the dining room table rather than the Bima.

Spending more time at home can offer us the opportunity to do some Pesach cleaning and some spring cleaning (and no, they are not the same thing).  It’s a funny thing, but the way we prepare for the season of freedom is by cleaning the house (more about that in due course). Cleaning can often be a rather mindless task, but it does give us time to think as we scrub and scrape.

As we enter into the pre Pesach season, I will, please G-d be sharing some daily insights into the upcoming Yom Tov to enable us to prepare with excitement and anticipation. Pesach provides us with timeless lessons to hold on tight whatever the new normal will be.

Let’s take those steps to freedom together…