B.C. lifting ban on religious services offers ‘glimmer of hope’ ahead of Passover

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A Vancouver Rabbi is hopeful his congregation will be able to come together indoors and in-person for Passover as B.C.’s public health order on religious gatherings is set to be amended.

Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Monday that small, outdoor religious gatherings will be allowed in the coming days, and indoor services could resume in early April.

Rabbi Dan Moscovitz says the ban on in-person gathering has been tough for the congregation at Temple Sholom, as it has for all religious people who have been unable to come together to worship since November of 2020.

“Everybody has struggled, but for those that attend religious gatherings, houses of worship, or synagogue regularly, it’s very, very difficult to not be able to have those kinds of supports. It’s not just the prayer but it’s the community that that happens in and amongst the prayer,” he says.

“Being unable to do that it’s just another blow from COVID to our spiritual, emotional, mental health.”There’s of course been moments of great blessing, and, really incredible community coming together. But we need to be able to gather again, to celebrate our religion, and to celebrate our communities.”

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Passover begins March 27 and ends April 4, and while the in-home gathering for meals that are so integral to celebrations will not be allowed, the potential for an in-person gathering in the synagogue on the last day is heartening for Moscovitz.

“Any little glimmer of hope, as these new orders hopefully are providing just helps to lift the spirits at a time when we have all been brought down pretty low over this past year,” he says.

Like last year, Zoom will be used to connect with others observing the holiday at home.

“‘This night won’t be so different from every other night,’ as we say at the Seder. There is a memorial service that comes at the end of the week, and we’re hoping that we’ll be allowed to gather, preferably indoors or at least outdoors.”

He also says he’s appreciated the way provincial health authorities have communicated with faith leaders in the four months since restrictions were announced.

“They’ve been engaged with us. We’ve had a number of conversations about this and they haven’t always been able to meet our needs or demands. But I think that my colleagues and I have been patient and good partners,” he says.

“We have been waiting and it seems that there is an opportunity now to be carefully coming back together in some way to heal, body and soul.”