- [Julie] It's usually

a big, multi-generational celebration.

Family and friends gathertogether for a meal

and recount the Exodus story

of how God delivered theJews from slavery in Egypt.

- Passover is a memorial,and it's a remembrance

of God's act of redemption onbehalf of the Jewish people

to bring them out of slavery,

bring them into the Promised Land,

in fulfillment of His promises to Abraham

and fulfillment of His covenant.

- [Julie] This year will be different

as the world deals withthis real-life plague

known as COVID-19.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Translator] A smallSeder is a safe Seder.

This year, more than ever,

we will adopt the Passover festival

of our forefathers inEgypt: Passover in houses.

- [Julie] In Israel, onlypeople living in the same house

are allowed to sit downfor the Seder together,

so many will be alone.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Translator] This year, on the holiday,

people will be separated from one another.

It;s a holiday that will be the opposite,

but it also teaches us that the Holy One

also loves each one individually.

- We're gonna be huddledtogether in our homes,

in isolation, socially distancedfrom the world around us,

just like they were in thetime of the Exodus from Egypt.

- [Julie] That prompted rabbisto ease decades-old rules

forbidding the use of electricity

on the Sabbath and holidays

in order to allow Orthodox families

to enjoy Seders via Zoom.

- You got Grandpa or Grandma by herself

when she should be with herchildren, her grandchildren,

even in my mother's case, you know,

my parents' case, theirgreat-grandchildren.

So because of the fear

that it could be verydangerous psychologically,

or physically, these people,the stress could kill you.

- [Julie] Other rabbinicalrulings have also been changed,

like burning the last bitof hametz or leaven outside

just hours before the holiday begins.

- I remember, I had beenhere in the Gulf War,

I remember you had wear,

you had to walk around withyour gas masks in mourning,

and if the siren went off,

you ran to cover, but life went on.

This is, like, unlike anything.

Everything is just shut down.

- [Julie] In the biblical account,

shown here in CBN'sSuperbook for children,

the plagues are listed: blood,frogs, lice, cattle disease,

pestilence, boils,hail, locust, darkness--

- No!- And death of the firstborn.

- Every plague actually is dismantling

of one of the gods of Egypt.

- [Julie] What saved the Jewishpeople from the last plague

was putting the blood of aspotless, sacrificed lamb

on the doorposts of their homes.

- In Exodus chapter 12,we see the final plague

where God says to the Jewish people,

He says, "Go into yourhomes, isolate yourself,

"do not leave your house,

"because there's something bad outside."

- [Julie] Boaz Michaelfrom First Fruits of Zion

sees similarities to this today.

- We're now being told thatwe have to stay in our homes

because there is something essentially bad

that will harm us outside.

- [Julie] Near thebeginning of every Seder,

the youngest child traditionallysings the question:

(speaking in foreign language)

What's different about this night?

No doubt this year'sanswer will be remembered

as very different for years to come.

Julie Stahl, CBN News, Jerusalem.