Are you mentally prepared for Passover?

“I’m hopeful and terrified,” Maxine Handelman said as she looked ahead to Passover 2022.

Before the pandemic, Handelman annually hosted as many as 25 people for Seder in her Lakeview home, and this year, she’s cautiously planning to return to that tradition for the first time in three years.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to share with friends and family and go back to what feels like normal, but I’m terrified it will all explode at the last minute,” she stated, acknowledging that there’s no way to know what’s ahead in the pandemic.

Handelman is experiencing the uncertainty and anxiety that is widespread amongst the Jewish community in anticipation of a holiday that is all about gathering given we haven’t gathered traditionally for Passover since 2019.

Those we turn to for guidance in these trying moments recommend focusing on the Passover story and a few coping strategies to manage the challenges of the season.

Rabbi David Wolkenfeld, of Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Lakeview, likened our modern pandemic experience to the ancient story of the Jewish people showing perseverance, strength, and resilience in overcoming hardship during their exodus from slavery in Egypt.

Reflecting on the early days of the pandemic in 2020, he recalled people holding Seders in their own homes, with some entirely alone.

“During the first Pesach of COVID, we were in the depths of the pandemic. We literally had a plague raging outside,” he said. “Now there is more diversity in how people are experiencing COVID. Some are seeing other people in person while others have not crossed the threshold of the shul . I hope we can seize the opportunity for joy by gathering with a community of family and friends.”

At Temple Chai in northwest suburban Long Grove, Rabbi Ilana Baden has been fielding phone calls from congregants who are out of practice when it comes to Passover, adjusting to new grandchildren, or looking for a novel approach. “People see emerging from the pandemic and being together as an opportunity to be intentional and to actually reboot,” she explained.

The Women of Temple Chai and the Chai Guys–the congregation’s sisterhood and brotherhood–are working on their own reboot for the synagogue’s Seders with the understanding that congregants have different preferences about safely reconnecting over a meal. “We’re talking about how do we structure them to be as inclusive as possible,” said Alison Lewin, Temple Chai Executive Director. That means offering packaged meals to either eat at the synagogue or take home, and giving people a choice of sitting with others who are masked.

Laurie Garber-Amram, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for JCFS Chicago, said planning ahead is key to coping with the uncertainty of Passover this year. “Be aware this is going to be challenging as we face the competing priorities of wanting to stay safe and wanting to get together and celebrate. Take time to assess what you need to feel comfortable,” she said. For example, decide in advance how you feel about hugging others, ask direct questions about whether other guests are vaccinated, and talk to your children about appropriate behavior.

Yari R. has already prepared for Passover. She, her husband, and mother-in-law are flying to Florida to join Yari’s parents and sisters for a small Seder. They’ll gather once everyone receives their COVID test results. “We are all on the same page and just want to be together,” she said.

As for Handelman, she’s holding off on any grocery shopping until a couple of weeks prior to Passover, knowing that life can change suddenly during a pandemic.

It’s as if we’re truly reliving the Passover experience of feeling rushed, noted Baden. “The Israelis had said, we’re going to have this meal, and then we’re going to leave right away. And they didn’t even have time for the bread to rise,” she said. “This is the rhythm of life which is made up of these moments where it’s really hard, but Passover reminds us that we get through them, and we go forward.”

Looking for more support as we transition to a post-COVID world? Join No Shame on U–in partnership with JCFS Chicago–for the April 6 Zoom program “Managing Anxiety in Today’s Uncertain World.” Find more info at noshameonu.org/events .

Julie Mangurten Weinberg is a Northbrook-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience in broadcast, print, and digital media.