As many of our brethren in chutz la’aretz (outside Eretz Yisrael) are aware, we in Israel are currently in the middle of a shmitah year, the once-in-seven-years time when we are commanded to allow the Land to rest. Hearing the word “shmitah,” many immediately think about the farmers. They are the true heroes of this incredible mitzvah, of course. They are the ones who put their livelihood on hold for close to two years! That is because, even after shmitah is over, it takes a very long time to get the farm back in working condition. The land was neglected for a year, and needs to be put back in order. Idled machinery requires service. Many employees have taken jobs elsewhere during shmitah, so a new team must be hired. Some customers have gotten new suppliers, so the farmers may need to find new sales outlets, and negotiate new contracts. And of course, there is the wait for the new crops to be planted and harvested. For the farmers, there are so many details to put together before, during, and after shmitah.

Yet farmers are not the only ones who are affected by shmitah. Seven years ago, in these same pages, I wrote an article interviewing housewives about their shmitah experiences. This time I would like to share with you my interviews with a few local caterers about how shmitah is affecting their businesses.

Having a baby is always an exciting event, and while no two births are the same, after a few births, many women feel a certain level of comfort. They think that they know what to expect. Well, that changed when COVID reared its ugly head. I personally found my last birth and hospital stay to be a very different experience than the previous ones. I decided to ask some friends and neighbors for their say on the matter.

Last year’s shemita was a huge deal here in Eretz Yisrael – with farmers, for sure – but for us housewives as well. For us city-dwellers, who don’t own one square meter of dirt in the Holy Land, shemita changed the way we shopped, cooked, baked, ate, and took care of our houseplants and gardens. 

Today, months after Rosh Hashanah and the end of the shemita year, one might think that shemita is a thing of the past, to be remembered again in another six years. But for those of us living in Eretz Yisrael, it’s far from over. We are still dealing with shemita on a daily basis. Vegetables have kedushas shevi’is based on when they are picked, so all our vegetables are now post-shemita. Fruits, on the other hand, have kedushas shevi’is based on when they reach a specific stage of growth. The fruit being picked now reached that stage of growth many months ago, so we’re still eating shemita fruits, after the seventh year has ended. And it doesn’t stop there! We must be careful when purchasing canned goods, pre-made salads and spreads, juices, and even oil! We have to check every single package and container to make sure it doesn’t contain anything with kedushas shevi’is.

There are many aspects of life in Eretz Yisrael that I love, but I do miss being near my family. Sometimes we are so busy with our everyday life that it is a back-burner issue. Other times it comes more to the forefront, like the Friday afternoon hustle and bustle on our block as numerous families pack up children and strollers to travel to Bubby Bnei Brak or Savta Yerushalayim for Shabbos. Yamim Tovim are a flurry of families coming and going, and Chanukah means eight days of family parties all over the country. Not for us! We can commiserate with our children who feel so left out, but we can’t make it up to them.

I apologize to all those animal lovers out there, but I must state my firm opinion: Animals are dirty, gross, yucky. Choose whatever word you want, but don’t bring them into my house. I just don’t like animals. I do not think that they are cute and cuddly. I think they are, well, I already expressed my view, so we’ll leave it at that.But…Hashem has a great sense of humor. He gives animal-hating women sons! I have a rule in my house that the boys must empty their own pockets before putting their clothes in the laundry (or throwing them on the floor under their beds!). If they don’t empty their pockets and their treasures get ruined in the wash, well, let that be a lesson for next time. I absolutely will not stick my hands into little boys’ pants pockets. What if there’s a snail collection in there?

Last month we took a peek behind the scenes in various Israeli homes. We saw well-behaved children and not-as-well-behaved children enjoying the infrequent visits of their American grandparents. We heard from happy mothers and stressed-out ones, both hesitant and eager to host their parents/in-laws from abroad. As with anything in life, there are always two sides to the coin. How was the experience for the American bubbies? Let’s take a look at what some of your Baltimore friends and neighbors have to say about visiting their Israeli grandchildren.