When we last left the hitchhikers across the COVID/Israeli Galaxy, they were welcoming hordes of Mazers arriving from near and far to spend Shabbat in Netanya. All together we were 13; 6 from Efrat (Shoshana went to a Shabbaton with her friends), 5 from Petach Tikvah and us! We were able to use a neighbor’s apartment for Elan and Nomi’s family to sleep in, and otherwise had meals and playtime here. Lots of kids, lots of movement, lots of activity! But amazing. We had great meals, lots of quality time, trips to the parks (timed to not be at the peak of the heat) and all in all a terrific Shabbat together. 

The excitement does not end there! On Sunday we went to Petach Tikva to help out with Gila and Ariel’s children, as Gila is an educational counsellor and teacher and had in-service sessions on the days prior to school starting. So, Sunday and Monday were spent in the company of Elisha, Ora and Adi. Highlights included completing a complex robotics building project with Elisha (now I know why I did not go into engineering), playing hide and seek in giant slides in the playground; going to the mall to escape the heat, playing on the rides and eating pizza, and lots of stories as well as a little screen time to chill. The kids were great; Adi, 20 months, has really only met us virtually, though we were here last year. However, she just went with the flow and if Ora and Elisha seemed to tolerate us, so she would too! 

The rest of the week was much quieter. We had to spend some time enjoying the beautiful weather, but still had responsibilities back in Montreal. So mornings included some great walks, and afternoons and evenings were for teaching, meetings, writing and keeping the avalanche of emails at bay. Plus, as the holidays are coming, preparations are key: we did some large scale shopping and Barbara cooked up a storm including her signature cabbage rolls! 

This coming Monday night is the beginning of the Jewish New Year. I am sure everyone who is reflecting on this is saying the same thing; last Rosh Hashana we prayed for an end to the pandemic and were sure that this would not drag on for another year. Yet, it has. In the last 12 months we have had 3 more waves of Corona virus infection, the launch of vaccines that were released in record time, amazing optimism as the vaccines clearly worked in the very short term, and then the sobering realization that the virus had some tricks up its sleeve. So here we are again. I believe all New Year’s celebrations have at least one common theme; to bring people together. No matter how you celebrate, doing it alone just does not cut it.  The Rosh Hashana construct is rooted in two things; that G-d created the world on Rosh Hashana, and that every Rosh Hashana begins a period that we as individuals are judged on the merit of our deeds. Yet, the liturgy that we use in synagogue is not at all about personal prayer. It’s not beseeching for our individual continuance or even about our own deeds. It’s about community, nation, and even global outreach. It’s a call to unity, to say that when we hear the clarion call of the Shofar (the ram’s horn; check this out if you have not heard one      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNNGB-Py5dI) we are all huddled together as one body that needs to work together to be successful. 

The success or failure of a society is based on individuals working together for the greater good and keeping their eye on the needs of others. In a situation like the pandemic, when we are often more isolated from each other than we wish, we can still reach out; a phone call, a video chat, an Uber eats gift certificate; a kind gesture, a helping hand. This is the take home message. Whether our contribution is big or small, everyone contributes to the collective. Whatever the next year brings, only through all of us contributing to our fellow persons will we continue to have unity, safety and collective success.

We wish you an amazing Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova Umetuka, a Sweet and Happy New Year!

Barbara and Bruce 

We wish a Refuah Sh’lema (Speedy Recovery) to Rochel Etta bat Dobrusha 

We wish a Refuah Sh’lema (Speedy Recovery) to Tuvia Moshe ben Perl