Religion has brought people together for centuries. It is a rite of passage for many communities and gives people meaning throughout life. It is something that a local Montrealer named Adam Luxenberg fought for during the Omnicron outbreak with an online petition. 

Luxenberg began the petition to reopen places of worship in Quebec. So far, it has accumulated over 750 signatures. It is a great indication how important religion is to many residents in the province. But when asked to explain the motivation even further, Luxenberg’s story reflected the thoughts and opinions of many others who struggled during the pandemic.

“What inspired me to start this petition really is the lack of transparency and lack of scientific knowledge that the government has presented regarding why places of worship should be closed,” Adam said in our interview.

“There have been no real outbreaks in Quebec due to religious services being held in a place of worship, and I am the type of person who likes to stand up when something is wrong.” 

According to the other interview Luxenberg gave to CityNews Montreal, the need for prayer is a universal one. It is an outlet for people to connect – whether it be to socialize or to find purpose. That is another element to Luxenberg’s argument to open up houses of worship. 

“Some religions need a quorum of people to recite certain prayers and to perform certain rituals,” Adam said, speaking on behalf of the Jewish religion. “Gatherings can also be done in a safe manner, and I even listed some ideas in my petition.”

The Quebec government officially announced that houses of worship can operate at 50% capacity, with vaxxicode and a maximum of up to 250 people. But once the pandemic eventually does end, we should reflect on those who stood up for what they believed was right. There is no question that Luxenberg will be regarded as one of the heroes of Omicron.