As we draw near to Pesach 2020, each of us is struggling with a new reality, and perhaps, a reality different from any Pesach before. This year, families will be separated, friends will not congregate together, and for some, for many, the Seder will be a meal taken alone.

Pesach, a festival in which we celebrate our freedom, will, this year, be a time in which we are restricted in our movements. A time in which our freedoms, many of which we have perhaps taken for granted, are curtailed.

We know that this will pass. We know that one day, we will once again be able to come together with family and friends to celebrate our traditions and to rejoice in the freedom that we have.

As we gather together in small groups, our thoughts go to our friends and families in Israel, many of whom are living in even more stringent lock-down conditions than what we are experiencing here in Australia. We are inspired by their example, and we pray for their safety and good health.

At the end of our Seder we read “L’shana haba B’Yerushalayim” – next year in Jerusalem. These words seem particularly poignant this Pesach, as they speak of our hope for the future – for a time when we will once again be free to travel the world, to come together, to celebrate when this virulent disease no longer threatens us.

I wish all of you a chag sameach. Stay safe, stay well, and look forward to the day when we can come together again to celebrate.