Many years ago, when my children were in their teens, I thought to put into writing some of the principles I have lived by and that I tried to instill in them all during their growing-up years. I wrote many pages of advice, based largely on Pirkei Avos, something that I imagine loving parents and grandparents have always done in what has been called an “ethical will.”

It began with the Shidduch Book, which I wrote in 1996. Although my children were not yet dating, I wanted to prepare them for that most momentous decision in life: the choice of a marriage partner. I continued to write “letters” to my children and ultimately gathered my words into a beautifully-bound book, which I presented to each of my children as a legacy. I called them Letters to My Children.

It was hard to believe. Remember the date: August 31, 2020. Fox News reported: “A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries.”

The Israeli delegation was headed by National Security Council Chief Meir Ben-Shabbat (who always wears a kippa), while the American delegation was headed by senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, President Trump’s religiously-traditional Jewish son-in-law. They came with their advisors and government ministers to hammer out the details of a historic peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, the third Arab country to “normalize” relations with the Jewish State.

As we all know, a general election is coming up on November 3. It is very important for our community to participate in elections. Not only do elections determine the policies and direction of our city, county, state, and country; they also show our politicians that we care enough to vote, prompting them to pay more attention to our community. It is also vital to show hakaras hatov (gratitude) to those elected officials who have helped us in the past and whose actions and words show that they will be there for us in the future.

The offices we are voting for this year are U.S. president/vice president, congressional representatives (but not senators), and court judges. The City is also voting for mayor, City council president, comptroller, and City council members. In October, registered voters will receive a sample ballot in the mail with the entire list. (The deadline for registering is October 13.)

Because of the risks of Corona, our government officials have provided additional options for voting this year. The options are to vote in person or by mail-in ballot.

In the little time that has passed since the announcement of a peace accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (and Bahrain), we have been hearing a lot of similar stories. The predominantly Moslem European country of Kosova is going to establish relations with Israel and put its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem. Serbia, which already had relations with Israel, will likely be moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and there is a chance that the Czech Republic and perhaps even Austria will be moving their embassies to Jerusalem as well.

Far more valuable to us than any other liquid, water is the most precious substance on this planet. Despite the fact that it is readily available, we should not take for granted the colorless, tasteless fluid that forms the very foundation of life as we know it. While we can survive for weeks without food, and months without socializing in person or having reliable internet access (okay, that last one was tricky with five kids trying to Zoom at the same time), we wouldn't last more than a few days without water.

The children are finally back in school, and both you and they are feeling relief and excitement. Unfortunately, you may also be feeling apprehension. I think we would all agree that this school year is setting up to be the most unusual we have ever experienced! For the children, there are many new restrictions in place regarding wearing masks, how to play during recess, how to sit at their desks, and how to interact with their friends.

The havoc COVID-19 has wreaked is no laughing matter, yet you can’t help but chuckle at the lifestyle that has become our new global norm. Wearing masks, keeping each other at (triple) arm’s length, and constantly sanitizing our hands are understood, even, to some extent, by two-year-olds. I polled people around the world – and closer to home, in Baltimore – about any new-norm experiences that provided them with the much-needed comic relief we could all use, especially in these times.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has shaken every facet of community life. As Jews, our lives are especially closely intertwined with our congregational association and with our Torah way of life and its calendar. Tishrei is crammed with many Yomim Tovim, all of which are strongly connected with activities as a kehilla (community). The very term kehilla derives from hakhel, the mitzva of nationwide merging on Sukkos.

Our nation’s teetering economy has prompted many organizations to offer free resources and training to the public. LinkedIn (LI), the leading website devoted to professional development and networking, has initiated some remarkable free job training options. According to LinkedIn’s CEO Ryan Roslansky, the company’s goal is “to help those who have become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis get the skills they need to land their next job. By giving free access to these skills and training…we hope to do our part and help connect job seekers around the globe to new opportunities.”