My synagogue hasn't held services in 2 months. Here's how I'm staying connected to my community.

• Before the pandemic, I was an active member of my synagogue.
• In the absence of religious services, I've been making traditional Shabbat foods to help the day feel special.
• My synagogue moved events to Zoom, but I've found moderation is key for virtual gatherings.
• I've found socially distant walks and handwritten letters fulfilling.

Before the pandemic, I was an active member of my synagogue community. I attended, and often led, Shabbat services on Friday nights and Saturdays, and helped coordinate Sunday prayer meetings. I went to crowded potluck meals in friends' apartments. I took the rabbi's Torah classes.

I haven't done any of that in over two months.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to go to synagogue again. No one is. Houses of worship are likely super-spreader hotspots, where one infected person can spread the coronavirus to an unusually high number of others.

Like many people affected by the coronavirus, I'm realizing that things probably aren't going to go back to the way they were anytime soon, and I am doing my best to adjust to the new "normal."

Many people have turned to cooking comforting meals during the pandemic — myself included

Even though Shabbat is traditionally the day of rest, I miss the feeling of having somewhere to be every week. Without the structure of services, it can be hard to distinguish another day of staying home from all of the others.

To help the day still feel special in the absence of my community, I've been putting extra effort into preparing traditional Jewish foods to eat on Shabbat. Plus, I have yet to find any ailment that a steaming bowl of matzah ball soup can't fix.

Zoom events don't have the same feel as in-person gatherings, but they can be nice in moderation

Zoom fatigue is real. When the stay-at-home orders first started, I tried to replace every item in my calendar with its virtual equivalent. That got old fast, and I ended up avoiding all Zoom meetings for a while.

Now, I'm saying yes to some of my synagogue's online programming. Seeing the friendly faces and chanting the familiar melodies I used to anticipate every week usually gives me a boost, even if the medium itself can be exhausting.

When Zoom fatigue hits, snail mail and socially distant walks help me stay connected to my community

As I previously wrote about for Insider, I've been using handwritten letters to stay in touch with loved ones. Digital communication can't recreate the feeling of holding a letter in your hands that someone took the time to write and send.

I would normally spend the upcoming Jewish holiday of Shavuot in synagogue and at festive meals with friends. This year, we're exchanging handwritten holiday greeting cards. Since I don't use my phone or computer on Shabbat or holidays, physical notes can serve as a reminder on the day itself that we're all still celebrating together, even though we're socially distancing.

I've also been seeing people from my religious community on socially distant walks around the neighborhood. Even though we're wearing masks and staying 6 feet apart, waving and briefly commiserating together helps me feel less isolated.

One Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, I was waiting at a crosswalk when several families from my synagogue appeared, including the rabbi and one of his children. Talking to them in person for a few minutes made another afternoon without services feel a little bit more like Shabbat.

"This is the part of the old mincha [afternoon prayer] crew," the rabbi said.

And then we kept walking.

• Read more:
• I turn off my phone for 25 hours every week. Here's why I value it even more now during the pandemic.
• I've been sending handwritten letters to friends during the pandemic, and it's helped me feel more connected than Zoom meetings
• A Michigan priest sprayed holy water on people with a squirt gun for drive-thru blessings
• Leaving New York during the pandemic meant I got to have Passover with my family and boyfriend, and it made for a different but memorable holiday

Read the original article on Insider