There will be celebrations and somber reflections as American Jews observe the upcoming High Holy Days — their faith’s most important period. There also will be disappointment, as rabbis once again cancel or limit in-person worship due to the pandemic.
The chief culprit is the quick-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus, dashing widespread hopes that this year’s observances, unlike those of 2020, could once again fill synagogues with congregants worshipping side by side and exchanging hugs.
“There’s an asterisk by everything,” said The Temple’s senior rabbi, Mark Schiftan. “We’re not even sending out more than very tentative information about Yom Kippur because that’s too far out.” At Valley Beth Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in Los Angeles serving about 10,000 people, no unvaccinated worshippers will be allowed on the campus during the holy days. That includes all children under 12 because they’re ineligible for vaccinations, a decision Rabbi Noah Farkas called “the saddest thing we did this year.”“All of us were hoping this holiday season was going to be a do-over from 2020,” Farkas said.
“There’s no question that this tragedy, and its lingering pain and anguish, is part of the community at this point,” Lipskar said. “At same time, recognizing who we are as Jewish people, we have learned to live with the most extraordinary adversity.” In some communities, pandemic worries are compounded by concerns over possible incidents of antisemitism during the High Holy Days, which overlap with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Security experts are concerned by white supremacists, pro-Palestinian activists and people embracing conspiracy theories blaming Jews for the pandemic, said Mitch Silber, who heads a regional security initiative on behalf of New York-based Jewish organizations.
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