"Some Traditions Never Change," by Brooke Sitcoff (West Island College)
"April eighth, this would typically be the day where I would have been reunited with my family from all over the world, whom I only see about once a year. The day where my family comes together to celebrate our past, to celebrate the holiday of Passover. However, in these strange circumstances due to Covid-19, this was the first year of my life where I had to spend this holiday without my extended family.
I remember being a little girl, sitting by the table and hearing all of my family talk about what Passover truly means. How it represents how the Jews escaped their slavery and gained their freedom. As well as how despite the difficult times that they were going through, the Jews still managed to come together as a community and be there for one another.
My favourite part of the dinner has always been when it was time to drink the wine, or in my case, grape juice. The oldest person always got to drink out of this wine glass, which has sat at the centre of the table ever since my great-grandparents had just started their family.
This year, while I looked around my practically empty table, I found comfort in the fact that this wine glass is still at the centre of my table. When I look at it, I can imagine my family all together, just like the way it used to be.
Even though I can’t physically be with my family this year, I know that some traditions will never change. Although this situation is not ideal, just like how the Jews overcame their problems and gained their freedom many years ago, my family will overcome this and in the end, I am certain that this will bring us closer together."