Passover 2021; “There’s a greater feeling of freedom”

Passover services will look closer to normal this year, as more people are getting vaccinated.

Last year during the same time period, Wisconsinites were just starting to feel the effects of the pandemic with the Safer at Home order being put in place by Governor Evers.

Rabbi Wes Kalmar from Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah synagogue in Glendale says last Passover everyone stayed at home; but with vaccines rolling out, hope is on the horizon.

“Passover is all about freedom and certainly there’s a greater feeling of freedom this year,” said Kalmar.

He says Passover Seders won’t look like two years ago, but they will be much improved from 2020.

“This year, while it’s still not like it was in previous years, where you’d have a seder with 25 to 30 people with all different groups coming together… there’s definitely families and people (coming together this year). So that’s a tremendous difference.”

Kalmar says they will have services in the synagogue this year too.

“Still with masks and socially distant but people are coming back.”

But despite people’s desire to come back to in-person services, Kalmar says there’s still an understandable hesitance.

“In reality, I think some people are just taking baby steps. It’s hard to jump into, yeah, let’s just go back into 100%. I think it’s going to take some time. There’s going to be some adjustment time and I think that’s true for the entire country.”

The Passover week ends at sundown on Sunday, April 4th.

To hear more of the interview, click on the audio player above.