As I write this, Rosh Hashanah is just a few days away. Back in April, I was concerned because I didn't get a chance to clean my office before Passover. Would the quarantine be lifted before Passover ended, leaving me with an office full of chametz (food we are not permitted to own during Passover) that I couldn't use? More than five months later, my office still has not reopened, and there is no end in sight. They're talking about reopening in November, but they also talked about reopening after Memorial Day. And Labor Day.
The real concern right now is: what do we do about the High Holidays?
Most Jews today hardly ever go to synagogue, but when they do, it's for the High Holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. A synagogue that usually would have no problem social distancing is in a different situation for these three (or two) days: synagogues are packed, often with the usual prayer area expanded into a social hall behind it with folding chairs. Synagogues that have 25 people on a regular weekly Shabbat service will have hundreds. In the time of COVID ... this just cannot happen. So what are we to do?
A few months ago, Philadelphia's Jewish Federation had a ZOOM conference call where various local rabbis were talking about the problem. One of them made a very good point: people definitely want in-person services for the High Holidays, but they don't want the kind of services that they would be required to have. And I see what he means. The in-person services that are currently occurring (with very limited attendance for safety) are a perfect example. Everyone must sit distantly separated. No chatting. No singing along. Pray silently (in traditional Jewish services, people say certain prayers quietly and to themselves, but even that is not allowed at this time). The rabbi is hidden behind a glass or plastic shield. Only the rabbi leads services (in the normal world, it is common for congregants to participate in leading part of services). There can be no Torah procession (in the normal world, before and after the Torah reading, the scrolls are carried around the room with great fanfare and singing, with each person touching the cover and kissing their fingers). Without all of that ... you can have a halakhically compliant service, but do you want it?
The Philadelphia call reported that many of the Philadelphia synagogues (and I'm sure many in your area) will have virtual services to one degree or another, but they will be much shorter than usual. Rosh Hashanah services usually start early in the morning and continue until 1 or 2 in the afternoon; Yom Kippur traditionally goes pretty much from morning until the end of fast (7 or 8pm) with a 1 or 2 hour break in the afternoon. I have heard that ZOOM has made some changes to their usual policies for Jewish High Holidays, allowing a conference to extend up to 72 hours (they are usually limited to 24 hours) so that the Jewish services can begin their ZOOM service before the first day of Rosh Hashanah begins (around 6-8pm on Friday September 18) and continue through the end of the holiday (around 7-9pm on Sunday September 20) without anyone having to turn on or off the technology, something that is traditionally forbidden. But still ... ZOOM services just aren't the same ...
The call did not include Orthodox rabbis because, sad as it is, there really isn't any question on that side. Traditional Judaism does not allow the use of technology on Shabbat and holidays. They cannot use Zoom. The Forward had an excellent article about High Holidays in Orthodox synagogues this year. Basically, Orthodox synagogues are talking about having multiple small services, in multiple locations, stripped down to the minimum necessary so they can get in several services a day and satisfy as many people as possible in person.
Worst of all, the key observance of Rosh Hashanah is hearing the blowing of the shofar, the sound of which is a wake up call, a call to action, a battle cry for the battle against our own shortcomings preparing for the coming Day of Atonement. Hearing it remotely, aside from being traditionally insufficient, just isn't the same.
I have heard that many synagogues will be providing a sort of drive-by shofar blowing, blowing the shofar in various neighborhoods near their synagogues so that people can come and hear it while still safely socially distanced, in or near their homes. Of all the things that will potentially be lost this year, the inability to hear the shofar blasts may well be the most heartbreaking. Many Chabads will be having socially-distanced outdoor shofar blowing this year.
Chabad provides some tips for having a great Rosh Hashanah in these limiting times.
May you all have a safe and happy, good and sweet new year.
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