Borehamwood and Elstree United Synagogue has produced a booklet of members’ experiences during the pandemic — BES Maggid, My Story For Our Times.

The pieces cover topics from organising simchahs in the Covid era to dealing with the loss of a loved one.Contributors include a nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a pilot and a vaccinator. Members also wrote about shielding, recovering and separation from family.

“On Pesach, we do not simply retell a story,” explained BES minister Rabbi Alex Chapper. “We tell the story because it is our story. In this booklet we have recorded the remarkable stories of a range of people.

“We read, in their own unedited words, what life was like for them in the past year, from the joy of the birth of a child to the tragedy of losing a loved one. By recounting their experiences they are continuing the great tradition of storytelling in our times.”

Rabbi Chapper also reported a “very positive reaction” since the recent resumption of physical services at BES. “We’ve had large numbers booking for services and there appears to be a real enthusiasm to return.”