Holidays

Jewish holidays at United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.

UHC re-imagines High Holy Days in the spirit of ‘pikuach nefesh’, sets virtual services

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Continuing its practice that began in March with the onset of COVID-19, UHC will conduct virtual High Holidays services to welcome the New Year 5781, with Student Rabbi Emily Dana officiating via Zoom and congregants and guests joining from their homes in Terre Haute and around the country.

“This year will be like no other because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” writes UHC president Betsy Frank. “In fact, many are calling this a year of re-imagining the High Holy Days.

“No doubt our re-imagining brings mixed feelings, including feelings of grief. We know we cannot be together in our beautiful sanctuary. Yet, we know in our hearts that pikuach nefesh, a Hebrew term for “saving a life”, is a sacred Jewish value. Saving a life means no in-person services.”

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UHC’s first virtual seder closes with the promise, ‘Next year in Terre Haute!’

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UHC has long found quiet distinction among small congregations by steadfastly continuing its tradition of Friday night Shabbat services, even as others fall by the wayside.

The congregation typically draws a minyan, if not better, on Shabbat, and monthly visits from the student rabbi inspire even better turnout (along with challah and pastry bakers motivated to share their handiwork at the oneg.)

COVID-19 social distancing precautions threatened to to interrupt that commitment — and did, for a single week as UHC canceled its scheduled March 20 service.

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At this year’s Passover seder, we are all the son who does not know how to ask

By Student Rabbi Remy Liverman
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As we begin the Hebrew month of Nisan and prepare to celebrate Passover, never before has a discussion about plagues and a deep cleaning of our homes felt more relevant.

These strange and challenging times of COVID-19 would seem to take precedence over holidays. But there is so much we can learn from the seder, both in ritual and narrative.

We ask the Four Questions in Ma Nishtana: “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

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Temple counters social distancing with seder, Shabbat, Torah study via Zoom teleconference

By Betsy Frank
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As I was thinking about a topic for this month, the title of one of my favorite novels came to mind, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Coronavirus is our modern-day cholera or plague. To say the least, we live in interesting times.

And these times call for creative ways to stay connected. We have begun to make those connections by purchasing a Zoom videoconferencing account for our Temple community.

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