A Jewish Ritual to Honor the Pain of Pandemic

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States can be dated in many ways. The first confirmed case was Jan. 21, 2020. In Jewish communities, the Purim holiday, that year observed starting March 9, was a dividing line between our old lives and our new ones. For many, everything became real on March 11, when travel shut down, Tom Hanks tested positive and the NBA suspended its season. But there's another marker baked into Jewish tradition that hasn't been discussed -- and it provides a perfect opportunity for commemorating the earth-shattering change that we have all experienced.