Israel’s chief rabbis say Passover Seder can’t be held via videoconference

With only days to go before Passover celebrations, the Chief Rabbinate in Israel on Tuesday has dismissed a previous ruling by several Rabbis who said that it was permissible to hold the traditional Seder by videoconference. Last week, in what has been described as one of the boldest rulings on technology in recent years, 14 Sephardic Orthodox rabbis declared that families may conduct their shared Seder over videoconference. This was despite Orthodox religious law normally banning the use of electronic devices on Shabbat and festivals. But in a statement on Tuesday, chief rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef said holding the Seder via technological means was forbidden, and that the previous ruling is unqualified.