(WSVN) - For South Florida Jews and Christians, this is a big religious week.
Despite being told to stay home, people are keeping the faith.
Many churches and temples are finding a way to keep their congregants connected.
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis said, “Please keep God close, but please keep COVID-19 away.”
During a week when the faithful are traditionally together, the message is to stay apart.
Desantis said, “We want people during this time to be spiritually together but to remain socially distant.”
Passover, a holiday celebrating the Jewish people’s exodus from slavery in Egypt, starts Wednesday at sunset.
And the Christian holy week, which began with Palm Sunday’s commemoration of Jesus Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion, concludes on “Easter Sunday” with the resurrection.
But for both religions, the festivities this year will be different.
Chelsea Rego of Bet Sherah said, “Our four questions are questions that we ask during Passover, and the question that I posed was: Why is this year different than any other year? And this year is different because we’re connecting virtually.”
At Bet Shira in Pinecrest, the plan was to have more than 100 people inside the synagogue for a community-style Seder on the second night of Passover.
Coronavirus, of course, changed things.
The Seder, which includes religious customs and a festive meal, will still happen, but instead of showing up to the synagogue, congregants will be safely in their own homes.
Rabbi Ben Herman will lead from his home, via Zoom video conference.
Herman said, “We are bringing a sense of normalcy to people’s lives, and we’re also bringing a sense of enhanced meaning at a very difficult time in their lives.”
The message from the Catholic church read, “Holy week has not been cancelled.”
Archbishop Thomas Wenski said masses at Saint Mary’s Cathedral and at parishes across South Florida will go on, just without people in the pews.
Instead, services will be live-streamed so parishioners can watch from home.
Wenski said, “We’re going to try to observe the holy days the best way we can.”
That means expect some tweaks to traditions.
“The veneration of the cross, instead of kissing the cross, I might just bow in front of the cross,” Wenski said.
It also means the faithful will be unable to show up for confessions.
Wenski said, “I would tell them to make what we call a perfect act of contrition. Tell God that you are truly sorry for yours sins and express to him that you will go to confession at the first opportunity.”
A bris was held by rabbis wearing full protective gear, with family watching over zoom.
The rabbi said, “This all began almost 4,000 years ago, even before the first Passover.
Channel 7 will broadcast Easter services led by the Archdiocese of Miami beginning Sunday at 11 a.m.
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