Dear Friend,
Many of us will sit down to the first seder of Passover this week and it will look very different from other years. The tradition of telling the story of the Jews’ escape from slavery, one that’s usually told surrounded by family and friends, will instead be shared in small groups, virtually, or even in solitude, but the story’s lessons on overcoming challenges are especially relevant now.
During a time that many are comparing to a plague, we are grappling with social distancing and finding ways to connect. At The Forward, we are committed to keeping the Jewish community connected and informed. Central to our mission is upholding public service journalism — therefore, we’ve made all our coronavirus reporting free and accessible to all. We’ve increased our service journalism, publishing more how-tos, first person narratives, and community-focused stories ranging from guides for Passover shopping online to daily distraction recommendations. As a nonprofit, independent publication, we couldn’t do this without your support.
Our community needs each other more than ever now — our new series #ForwardFocus: Talks in Trying Times connects you, our readers, to each other and to leaders in our community with engaging and timely virtual conversations each week. Meanwhile, The Forverts is playing a critical role in connecting the Yiddish-speaking Jewish community, which has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, to important resources and information.
This work is crucial, especially during this time of crisis. We need your support now more than ever. Please consider making a donation so that we can continue providing essential news and inspiration.
At the end of the seder we sing Dayenu, or, "it would have been enough." During challenging times, we have to consider what we mean when we have “enough.” Our new series, Passover during coronavirus, addresses this and provides a variety of perspectives from influential Jews. Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll values the increasing sense of commonality and shrinking of differences, while Alex Zeldin has found a meaningful connection with his late grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.
For us at The Forward, it is enough to contribute to an informed and connected Jewish community. Any amount you can give at this time is meaningful to help us keep connecting, informing, and amplifying the voices of our community.
No matter how you're celebrating this year, please know that The Forward is here to connect you with your community. Wishing you a healthy and meaningful holiday.
Sincerely,
Alan Silberstein
Board Chair, The Forward
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