This prelude, from the set of 12 calendar Preludes ("depicting" the months of the Jewish year) I wrote in memory of my brother Marshall, is for the month of Nisan, which is the month of Passover, which begins this evening. It is a little suite of Passover songs. You can find a PDF of the music here, and a link to the whole set of Preludes here.
Why is this first night of Passover different from all other first nights of Passover?
Because all over the world people will be celebrating in their own private spaces, unable to share the meal and the ritual with family and friends. Because our connections in isolation are made possible through the magic of the internet and cell phones (who could have imagined this a few decades ago?), we can reach out to one another (around the world!) and communicate asynchronously or in real time. We can all share the pain of the plagues, both physical and psychological, that are literally (and I mean literally) infecting different parts of our world at different times, and with varying degrees of acuity as they move from place to place.
Some people will be participating in seders through computer apps like Zoom. We prefer to celebrate in our own way at home. I'll share some additional thoughts here for my celebration of Passover this year.
The virus itself would be enough to bear. Dianu.
Knowing about the federal officials (in various places) who tried to cover it up would be enough to bear. Dianu.
Hearing, seeing, and reading about the federal official who called the virus a hoax would be enough to bear. Dianu.
Seeing the people who believe that federal official, and hearing they say that it is just a flu, and that everyone is going to get it anyway would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The Florida governor who ignored advice about closing beaches during spring break would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The university students who spent spring break in Florida passing the virus to one another, and then bringing it back to their communities would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The federal offical who is making the simple act of getting personal protective equipment to health care workers nearly impossible would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The supreme court voting against a state governor who wanted to postpone an election for reasons of public health in a pandemic would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The federal official who tells people that he is not going to wear a protective mask, thereby giving the message that his supporters don't need to wear one either would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The people who believe that the virus is God's punishment for holding gay pride parades would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The people who continue to hold religious services during a time when social distancing is the only way to prevent the spread of the virus would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The obscene number of people who are dying every day from this virus would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The obscene number of health care providers who die from this virus would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The obscene number of people why are dying because the polluted air in the communities they live in has compromised their lungs would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The tragic number of people who cannot grieve properly after losing people they love because of the virus would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The obscene number of people exposed to the virus who do not have health insurance, and, by the actions of a certain federal official, can't enroll in the Affordable Care Act would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The number of victims of domestic abuse who are unable to leave their homes because of the virus would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The number of elected officials who refuse to put the health and safety of the people they represent over their own political ambitions and desire for more wealth and more power would be enough to bear. Dianu.
The economic and psychological toll that this (at this point endless) period of fear is taking, and the extraordinary burden of (eventually) recovering from it would be enough to bear. Dianu.
Once this pandemic has run its first course, and once we have a vaccine to prevent it from ever returning, will the experience of it change the way we live our lives and run our government? Will the professions of public sevice ever progress (at least in the American Republican party) towards something akin to what the words are supposed to stand for?
When we say, "Next year in Jerusalem," I hope that we, in America, will we be looking forward to a politically reorganized country involved in the complicated process of healing.
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