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2020 Pesach in COVID

How did you celebrate Pesach last year?

Answers:

Richard Gavatin,
"Ate too much Matzot."
 
Tovah Enger,
"We Zoomed the second seder with 3 of my dad's 4 siblings. It was a bit chaotic (multiple Haggadot, multiple tradition nuances, plus a bit of Zoom craziness) but fun. Not sure what we will do this year."
 
Amy Friedman,
"One of my brothers put together a Zoom seder, consisting of the folks who generally come to our extended family seders plus those who come to his own family seder. Connecticut, NYC, St. Louis, D.C., Austin TX, and Silicon Valley were represented. It was then we found out you can't sing together on Zoom! The Haggadah was the old Maxwell House haggadah, which my family has used for more than 50 years. It had been a few years since I'd been able to be with my sibs at Passover, so I was glad to have the opportunity, even virtually."
 
Katherine,
"My Seder for one was reclined on the couch with the Graphic Novel Haggadah."
 
Tony Granillo,
"We had a small gathering of about 6 including Carole, Joey and me. Usually 8 -12 but we enjoyed the lesser cleanup and being able to arrange a smaller yet safe experience. No spread and repeated for HH and Sukkot in the sukkah! Baruch Hashem The Granillos"
 
Randi Mozenter,
"We attempted to zoom with extended family all over the country. Due to limited experience with zoom at that time, there were significant technical problems and family members doing a variety of things which made the zoom difficult. However, it was wonderful to get together with so many people that would have otherwise not been able to participate. We did prepare all the usual foods and did the things we would normally do for a live seder. Since there were only two of us live, we hid and found the afikomen ourselves!"
 
Stacey Hudson,
"Repps, my mother and sister all made the dishes they typically make for Passover and we shared so everyone had the food we look forward to for the holiday. I added a new macaron recipe to the mix. We celebrated the Seder separately in our homes but shared the meal."
 
Howard Granok,
"My wife and I held a Zoom seder with our parents. The tricky part was finding a good haggadah that everyone could use. We ended up finding an online haggadah that could be personalized. It was the first time we held our own seder, since we usually go to my wife's parents' house."
 
Linda Makler, 
"We "zoomed" with our family in NC and CA. There were 12 of us! A very abbreviated Seder with all our favorite Pesach songs! We had our dining room table all set up traditionally, and everyone took part. We did not eat at the same time, so used that time to chat with everyone. We'll probably do the same this year!"
 
Dan Rosenthal,
"We had a large Zoom seder wtih family from various homes in upstate, NY, New Jersey, Washington, DC; and a few spots St. Louis. We shared readings from multiple Haggadot and gave all participants a chance to share what freedom meant to them, especially during this unique time. Because our far-flung family rarely gets to be together in the same place for the seder, we hosted many more families than we normally would have. It was great fun, helping family not used to Zoom, navigate the new technology, with lots of hilarious consequences. There were many jokes about hiding the afikoman (which was hard to find remotely.) We vicariously enjoyed the much wider array of Passover fare, even sharing some recipes. We also spent far less time cleaning up after the meal."
 
Cindy Payant,
"I was fortunate to be able to enjoy last year's seders with three dear friends at their home. I plan to do the same this year."
 
Rhiannon Kaye,
"We joined my parents'/sibling's seder zoom briefly, but primarily had seders for only the three of us at home. After doing Chanukah candles over Facetime in December, we may try to do a brief joint video call seder this year. Since last year's video seder attempt there's been a lot more practice of being on calls/participating remotely."
 
Dave Cooperstein,
"We spent the 2020 Pesach Seder like just about every other Jew in the world: on Zoom with our families in various locations around the country. While it was weird and frustrating, it also was a bit refreshing, and incredibly nice to be able to have the entire family around one virtual table, including family that we don't get to see in person every year. This year, with a number of family members already vaccinated, and following careful safety guidelines, we're hoping to at least have our parents visit for Pesach, and have somewhat of a more 'normal' experience for Passover."
 
Anonymous,
"We had two very quite Seders. We did the complete traditional Seder from start to finish. In a normal year our Seder ends around 1 am and includes some of my wife's family and guest from Kol Rinah that want a traditional Orthodox Seder. In 2020 it ended around 10:30 pm. with just me, my wife, and our elder son. We did not use Zoom or any other electronic device."
 
Karen Rader,
"We made matzah brei out of matzah (aka lemonade out of lemons) and expanded our zoom seder table to include friends and family from across the country; melding family traditions and making the best out of a very unusual circumstance. This year will be a repeat and I'm looking forward to ending the seder with Next Year in St. Louis (sitting all together around the table). Chag Sameach!!"
 
Skylar Swim,
"I did a Zoom seder with some Illinois friends and created my own seder meal at home for the first time. Second night I did a *very* low-key solo seder with the leftovers. It was quiet. This year if it's possible to do an outdoor socially distant seder for at least one of them, I'm going to try."
 
Jeremy Buhler,
"Wendy and I had our respective parents Zoom in for the first Seder. We arranged a setup with a large monitor and speaker so they could occupy one end of the table. It definitely gave them the opportunity to be present with us. We did the second seder with just us and our kids, sans Zoom. We will likely try for something similar this year, though it will be tough to set up with Shabbat immediately preceding the first seder."
 
Mike Besmer,
"We prepared a Passover meal for ourselves (Sherri, Isaac, Maya, and myself) and we had a joint family Seder over Zoom with Sherri's parents, aunts and uncles, and my parents. Though it was a bit choppy, we enjoyed being (somewhat) together for the holiday. We are unsure what we are doing this year, but we are hoping that Sherri's parents will be able to drive to St. Louis to spend Passover with us together."
Thu, May 8 2025 10 Iyyar 5785