Practicing Faith During a Pandemic

This week in April is important for both the Christian and Jewish faith traditions. It is the beginning of Passover, the eight-day celebration the commemorates the Israelites’ emancipation from Egyptian slavery. It is particularly important for Jewish families to gather for Seder meals and retell the story of Exodus. For Christians not in the Eastern Orthodox church (which follows a slightly different calendar) this is Holy Week. It recalls the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is marked by numerous church services and family gatherings. But COVID-19 is upending those rituals, preventing people from coming together as we all practice social distancing. On this episode, NMIF Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with members of the Catholic and Jewish communities about how they are trying to adapt faith traditions to new realities.

Guests:
Sarah Leiter, community outreach coordinator, UNM’s Hillel House
Victoria Trujillo, Roman Catholic Church member and frequent pilgrim to El Santuario de Chimayo

Additional Resources:
Santa Fe Jewish Center Chabad Providing Free Seder Kits – Santa Fe Reporter
Nothing Is Going to Stop Us – Albuquerque Journal
Worshipping From Afar: Local Churches Offer Alternative Easter Services – KRQE
How to Hold an Amazing “Zeder” – Hillel At Home
Passover Celebrations Take Shape Differently to Work Around Coronavirus – NPR
Middle Matzah Haggadah: A Digital Telling for a Time of Brokenness – Video

This story is part of a collaboration with FRONTLINE, the PBS series, through its Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.