18 | MARCH 18 • 2021 

PASSOVER

W

hile the availability 
of COVID-19 
vaccinations is 
encouraging, many people 
still haven’t been fully 
vaccinated. Reform temples 
and Conservative synagogues 
remain off-limits to normal 
group gatherings while some 
Orthodox synagogues permit 
small, socially distanced 
services only.
As a result, many Reform 
congregations are planning 
seders on Zoom for one or both 
nights. Conservative synagogues 
are generally holding online 
seders for the second night only. 
These options enable people to 
participate regardless of their 
location, health or vaccination 
status. Check with your 
synagogue for details.
While seders on Zoom have 
obvious limitations — the lack 
of personal contact, inability 
to share food and unexpected 
technical difficulties — they 
offer a convenient, safe way to 
connect for a holiday. 
The use of electronic 
technology on Shabbat and 
holidays, however, is not 
permitted by Orthodox 
synagogues. Conservative 
synagogues generally are 
holding Zoom seders only on 
the second night, which is not 
Shabbat.
For synagogues that don’t 

permit use of 
electronics, other alternatives 
are provided.
For instance, Bais Chabad 
Torah Center of West 
Bloomfield is working to 
arrange small, in-person seders. 
“I would like to create ‘seder 
placement’ in which I can set up 
people to attend smaller seders 
in the community,” said Rabbi 
Shneur Silberberg, outreach 
director.
“I don’t think we need to 
revert back to the way it was 
last year, in which many — 
particularly the elderly — 
had lonely, painful Pesach 
experiences,” he said. “With 
many vaccinated, and with the 
numbers continuing to decline, 
I would like to find ways to 
safely arrange a proper seder 
experience for anyone that 
would like.” 
Many individual families will 
repeat last Passover’s experience 
online.
Daniel Mesa, executive 
director of Temple Beth El in 
Bloomfield Township, held a 
family seder via Zoom last year 
and plans to do so again this 
year.
“We still need the 
connection,” he says. “You can 
see the person, hear their voice. 
We have friends and family all 
over the country.” 

Many synagogues and 
families will hold seders 
via Zoom.

Celebrating 
Together

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tips for Family 
Zoom Seders

1. Zoom’s free package allows 
only 40 minutes, so longer 
seders will require a second 
invitation and set-up. Zoom’s 
least expensive commercial 
package provides up to 30 
hours per session for up to 100 
participants at $149.90 annually; 
monthly billing is available.

2. Make sure the lighting is good 
and that you’re visible on the 
screen and that the volume is up in 
order to be heard. Take the time to 
set it up and test it. 

3. Having the host use a micro-
phone plugged into the computer 
will help eliminate sound “feed-
back.”

4. The host can mute participants 
until they are called upon to reduce 
interruptions and background 
noise.

5. Seeing yourself onscreen in a 
little box for a prolonged period can 
be stressful, according to an arti-
cle in the American Psychological 
Technology, Mind and Behavior 
Journal, as quoted in the
Washington Post. The article points 
out that Zoom has a “Hide Myself” 
option by right-clicking on the video 
display which removes self-view 
but allows other participants to see 
you.

6. Zoom seder participants may 
want to go through key parts of the 
Haggadah and sing a few tradition-
al songs together and then close 
out the Zoom to eat separately 
offline. 

permit use of 

Celebrating 

Tips for Family 
Zoom Seders

1. Zoom’s free pack
only 40 minutes, so longer 
seders will require a second 
invitation and set-up. Zoom’s 
least expensive commercial 
package provides up to 30 
hours per session for up to 100 
participants at $149.90 annually; 

