It started with toilet paper. It spread to hand sanitizer, flour, yeast, and bottled water. The shelves were bare in the stores, and they were “out of stock” at Walmart and Amazon, too. The public’s shopping protocol and habits have changed as well since Shushan Purim, the last time I set foot in a supermarket, where, I hear, markings on the floor direct you where to stand and walk and shoppers scurry about in masked anonymity. Why does it feel like shopping for my Pesach items is ancient history?

Fear of the virus is bad enough. Now we read about dairies pouring thousands of gallons of milk down the drain, meat plants closing, and agricultural businesses throwing away huge quantities of food, and we are gripped by fear. Will there be a shortage of food? Lest a panic attack strike before you finish reading this article, let me declare the good news and the conclusion up front: We are not going to starve!

The surface of our lives is not as smooth as it used to be. Secluded in our homes, we look each day for new opportunities to connect with the outside world. Although the marvels of computers and cell phones succeed in making this connection possible, in our dependence on technology for work, entertainment, and children’s studies, it is possible that we have overlooked a source of solace and stimulation right outside our windows.

Nature has always had the power to fascinate and refresh. Fortunately, it is not necessary to travel to exotic locales, or even local parks, to enjoy it. Common backyard birds flitting among the trees and bushes are a world unto themselves, and both adults and children are captivated by observing them and learning about their lives.

February 19 I went to a friend’s wedding in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem. Not a large wedding, but a wedding. (You remember those, don’t you?) Israel had its third election in one year scheduled for March 1, and I was asking my 92-year-old mother every day whether she wanted to vote. Some days she said yes, and some days she said no. Since she is wheelchair bound, cannot really use her hands, and can mostly only respond to yes-no questions, this was going to pose a challenge. But if she wanted to vote, it would be good for her and meaningful for her to do so.

I was trying to describe to my mother’s foreign worker, a woman from the Philippines, the political issues facing Israel, and I asked her if she was following those things at all. She responded, patiently, “The main issue that concerns most people I know is the virus that has struck China.” And I said to myself, “What? Oh, I heard about that.” On February 23, there was indeed something in the news about 200 South Korean tourists to Israel, some of whom had come down with the coronavirus. A safe route was being found for them to leave the country, and I said to myself, “Good, so let them leave.” I still wasn’t listening.

So, you want to grow a vegetable garden? You’ve been thinking about it for a while, and between the COVID-19 quarantine and the weather turning warmer – well, this year just might be the right time to do it! Who knows what’s going to be with the food supply, and, hey, you might even save some money growing your own! Not to mention that it’s something that can be done while maintaining social distancing and is certainly a wholesome outdoor activity with the kids. I can just picture the scene (as the kids are handed the shovels): “Okay, kids, here ya’ go! It’s time to dig some holes and plant these seeds so that we can have some really great vegetables this summer!

When a young woman or young man gets engaged, besides the joy of the parents, a great excitement fills the homes of their neighbors and friends. I have experienced this myself. My kids begin to ask for all the pertinent details: Who is the young woman? Where is she from? When is the engagement party? Then the questions might get more personal. “What does he do for a living? What do his parents do?” The questions and conversation lead us into territory which border on being judgmental.

Do we have the capacity to go beyond the superficial externalities of someone’s job, kitchen, or the food they served at their engagement party? Beyond that? Where else is there to talk about?

Pesach alone? By yourself? Just your immediate family? No grandparents, no cousins, no guests? No grandchildren to ask the Ma Nishtana? How weird? Nobody could imagine that happening. But this year, it actually did, and many of us were surprised to find it an overall good experience.

Young Couples Stayed Home

Thousands of young couples who did not expect to be leading their own Seder for another few years found themselves leading one this year. For some, it was hard to believe. “You mean I have to clean the refrigerator, kasher the oven and the sink, cover the counters, and cook!? You mean I have to buy pots and pans and every kind of kitchen utensil? Help! Impossible!” Next came the frantic phone calls to Mommy and the Star-K.

Wow! COVID-19 has done quite a number on what we used to think of as “normal.” Nowadays, “flattening the curve” is the highest priority in my house. My husband (may he have a refu’a sheleima) is at high risk. We quickly stopped having direct contact with the outside world to try to ensure he doesn’t get the virus. Our hearts break with those who have been affected by this pandemic, and we want everyone to be as safe and healthy as possible. When we hear about those who struggled with the virus and came out the other side, we cheer their wins. When we hear about the overburdening of the system and the crazy-long hours the healthcare teams are working, we are so grateful for their efforts. May all the cholim of Bnei Yisrael have a refu’a sheleima.

It’s hard to believe that here we are in May of 2020 and no child in Baltimore is in school – from kollel members to teenage yeshiva boys to girls whose seminary year in Israel was aborted, all the way down to kindergarteners and preschoolers in playgroup. It’s almost like science fiction, a world turned upside down! This is completely unexpected, so schools were caught completely unprepared.

To find out how the new arrangements are working out, I spoke to a handful of teachers, parents, and students. It is not possible to generalize, of course, because each school is dealing with the situation in its own way, and within each school, the teachers are not the same. While I got many varied responses, the one point that was clear across the board is that each family is different. What works for one family may not work for another. Moreover, the situation is evolving as time goes on.