Can you imagine sitting in your sukkah while it’s raining and still fulfilling the mitzvah? It is no longer just a figment of your imagination, Mr. Zev Steen says, as he regales me with the fantastically creative ideas and inventions of his Bnos Yisroel high school STEM students. This invention actually works, and the pertinent halachos have been discussed with Rabbi Heinemann.

Bnos Yisroel, TA, TI, and Bais Yaakov have all injected their curricula with a creative new class within the past four years, called STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and, according to Wikipedia, “is a broad term used to group together these academic disciplines.” Mr. Steen tells me, however, that his STEM class not only stretches the mind in math and science but also involves significant amounts of creativity.

Rumor has it that, when it comes to Purim, things were simpler in the ’70s and ’80s. Queen Esther, Mordechai, the King, and the Clown accounted for the most of children’s dress-ups, and mishloach manos were known to be sent on cellophane-covered paper plates. But as we know, our beautiful customs keep evolving, and Purim is no exception. “Themes” soon made their debut.

What is a theme? I would define it (not as per Merriam-Webster!) as the coordination of mishloach manos with the costumes of all the children and even the parents to make one grand, unified splash! And it takes some creativity and planning.

It was not a cold day, just foggy and rainy, and the streets on the way to Sinai were completely deserted, probably because it was January 1. My friend Batya* was in the hospital. I was pretty sure she had no visitors, and I thought she would appreciate one. So even though I wasn’t sure that the hospital would let me in, because of COVID, I decided to try.

Batya turned out not to be seriously sick, b”H, but by the time I got to her room, I had passed through a veritable halachic jungle. It is amazing how many electronic doors, appliances, and writing tasks there are to do in a hospital, even if you are just visiting! Almost every step I took in Sinai Hospital triggered another question in my mind.

Purim is one of my favorite holidays – okay, I love holidays, so I have a lot of favorites – and this year, with its two Adars, we get to think about Purim for six weeks instead of two. One of the things I love about Purim is reconnecting with people I haven’t seen for a while. The point of Purim isn’t to make you nuts (even if you put nuts in your shalach manos) or instill fear of the deadline. (Seriously, who can possibly get everything on their list done on time?) The point of Purim is to fill you with love of Hashem, community, friends, and family.

I also like Purim because my expectations are met. I expect to hear the Megillah (and I do). I expect to eat a crazy amount of food (and I do). I expect to drive around like a maniac delivering shalach manos, and guess what! I do. And at the end of Purim, I get to check off all those boxes. And I do. Purim means music and laughter and that special bond with people who are all trying to achieve a higher goal. Purim definitely has a special place in my heart.

For all of the creative souls who thrive on crafting clever packages and coordinating themes,  Purim is their time to shine! In the middle of Adar, these individuals take their place atop the pedestal of wonder, arranging gorgeous shalach manos, orchestrating a stunning seudah, and wearing the ultimate badge of creativity: a home-made costume.

Do-it-yourself costumes range from something simple, like running a ribbon through the top of a fabric curtain to make a cape, to such clever creations as tying a dozen men’s ties around your arms and claiming you are a tie rack. There are funny costumes, such as writing on a T-shirt “ERROR 404 – COSTUME NOT FOUND,” and “punny” costumes, like taping numbers to yourself and telling people that you are someone they can really “count on.”

When the editor of WWW asked if I’d like to write an article about shalach manos, also known as mishlach manos, I smiled, and I haven’t stopped smiling. In fact, every time I am worrying about something, if I start thinking shalach manos, I stop worrying (except about getting this article done on time). Why do I smile thinking about, preparing, delivering, and receiving shalach manos on Purim, when it’s such a busy day? I guess because shalach manos is a time of giving. 

When I moved to Baltimore, almost five years ago, I met so many wonderful people and discovered a network of chesed organizations, frum magazines, and well-stocked kosher stores and restaurants. I also found my favorite spot in our house: the window by the kitchen table. It faces the backyard and acts like a camera capturing the changing seasons, animal visits, and other scenes throughout the year.

This morning, as I sit down to a breakfast of a Goldberg’s blueberry gluten-free bagel with cream cheese, I roll up the blinds to the top of the window and breathe in the beauty of the fall foliage. A massive tree with orange and golden leaves rises above my neighbor’s fence and reaches almost to the azure sky. When the sun comes out behind a puffy, white cloud, the leaves of that tree sparkle and dance, holding on for dear life. Other, smaller trees shared by several neighbors still have their colorful leaves, but not the one tree in our own backyard.

Where What When: We are getting so much conflicting information about Omicron. Do we know anything yet about how dangerous it is? To whom? How do you know if you have Delta or Omicron? Does it matter?

Dr. Yosef Levenbrown: As of January 1, in the region of the United States that includes Maryland, the CDC was reporting that the current strains of COVID were 93.8% Omicron and 6.2% Delta. The numbers in Maryland reflected these percentages. However, in other regions, such as New York, it was 88% Omicron and 12% Delta. In order to determine the subtype of a COVID virus, one has to run a special test, which is not a commercial test that is available to the public. These tests that subtype the virus to determine which variant it is are often run in state labs or in hospitals on behalf of the state. So, when someone is positive for COVID, there is no easy way to determine which variant he or she has.

Recent data that has been reported on Omicron seems to indicate that it is more contagious than earlier variants and has resulted in more breakthrough cases in vaccinated people as well as people who have had prior COVID infections, compared with prior variants. In both lab studies and real world studies, the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have been shown to be effective against Omicron, not in terms of preventing someone from getting COVID but in terms of protecting one from severe symptoms of COVID. Getting three vaccines (the primary series plus a booster shot) has been shown in both lab and real world studies to be more effective than two vaccines. However, most of the people who have been getting severe COVID symptoms, including hospitalization and death from Omicron, have been unvaccinated.

WWW: We are here today with Donny Ankri, architect extraordinaire for the frum community. Our discussion today will focus on what a person should look for when doing a small addition. We’ll get into specifics and talk about the process. Donny, if somebody’s thinking about making an addition, who’s the first person they should call?

Donny Ankri: Definitely call an architect. Although you might typically think of calling a builder or a loan officer, they don’t have the vision that the architect does. Architects are really good at giving you a good understanding of the big picture. We take the bucket list of what you’re trying to achieve and show you how it can best fit your house. Once you have the general framework, you can reach out to other people involved.

As we drive up the main road of Mitzpe Yericho, with olive trees surrounding us on both sides, I am full of hope. Searching for a community can be daunting, and at last my husband Eliyahu and I agree that this yishuv we are visiting feels like home. Perhaps we are coming full circle as we got married in Mitzpe Yericho’s wedding hall, Nof HaYarden. Funny, though – at the time, we did not even consider living in Mitzpe, as it is fondly called.

Eliyahu points out the significance of Mitzpe Yericho. A mitzpe is a lookout; this yishuv lies on top of a mountain overlooking the ancient city of Yericho a few kilometers away. Nowadays, Yericho is an Arab city known for its casino, and Jews are not allowed to live there. But its history goes back to the times of Yehoshua, when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael and miraculously conquered the city.