New York Jews Observe Passover Amid Pandemic
April 9, 2020
6:12 pm
Matzah, wine and bitter herbs still flew off the shelves but hours before Passover the normally bustling streets of Brooklyn’s Hasidic neighborhoods stood eerily quiet — save for a somber funeral procession and the persistent wail of sirens.With the coronavirus pandemic ravaging New York — more than 6,200 people have died in the state — Jewish residents are preparing to “seder-in-place” when the eight-day holiday that recounts the Hebrew exodus from Egypt kicks off Wednesday evening.
The scent of the traditional burning of chametz — leavened products forbidden during the observant period — wafted through the Hasidic zone of …
