WWW: Hello, we are here today with Yitzy Schleifer, Councilman for the Fifth District. Yitzy, thank you for sitting down with us today. Let’s start by talking about COVID and the vaccine effort; then we’ll touch on crime. First off, how has COVID impacted the community? How has the community responded to it?

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. When Rabbi Aharon Gross, Bais Yaakov’s Director of Development, told me that the Bais Yaakov High School’s parking lot was fuller than he’d ever seen it, I didn’t doubt him, but I was still astounded when I saw it for myself. When I finally found an empty spot and crossed over to the high school building, it was as if I had entered a different world: a world of laughter, hard work, persistence, and friendship; a world where toothpicks, dice, and medicine bottles form breathtaking mosaics; a world where glue guns, staple guns, and black fabric are the most precious of commodities. 

It was 2010. My father, z”l, had passed away, and I was sitting shiva with my sister at my parents’ apartment on Diskin Street. The apartment was full of people, when suddenly a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties walks in. She was wearing flannel shirt, flopped over her jeans, and her head was completely shaved. People’s gazes darted to and away from her. 

She sat down next to me.

It goes without saying that the COVID pandemic has increased levels of anxiety for many people. The whole thing can be very traumatic. Some have contracted the virus, while others have family or friends who have been seriously ill or have died. With the lockdowns have come lost jobs, diminished savings, family conflict, and substance abuse. The daily news announcements about infection rates, variant strains, changing guidelines, and death counts can be overwhelming.

Exercise is a topic that arouses passions, either positive or negative.

For enthusiastic exercisers, it is the highlight of their life. “I found a beautiful trail near my house, and I go there to walk and run a few times a week,” said Dovid. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. It clears my head and makes me feel great. I am always surprised that there is no one else on the trail.”

Then there are people like my friend Sara, who says, “The only exercise I do is jumping to conclusions.” For these non-exercisers, it is uncomfortable to even talk about exercise, something they know they should be doing but don’t.

Recently, a small business owner contacted me for advice. He said, “I understand that you are an industrial psychologist and you work in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.” I asked him how I might be of assistance. The gentleman went on to describe the numerous problems he has with his current employees. I asked him about his former employees, and he said that they were mostly unmotivated, ungrateful people who used him and then either quit or he had to fire them. I asked what prompted him to call me. He said, “I want you to help me fix the problem. I need you

Recently my father was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. That drew my attention to the nurses who care for those who must spend time in the hospital. It was inspiring to meet people who dedicate their lives to caring for others at their most vulnerable time. It is not easy or pleasant work. The nurses I saw were on their feet all the time, responsible for many patients, and dealing with life and death situations. We had a WellTab tablet for my father, so I could see the nurses coming in and out of the room even when I wasn’t able to be with my father.

Another thing I noticed through the WellTab was that you could tell immediately which of the nurses were part of our community. The way they dress – in skirts, covering their hair, and with long sleeves – is different and unique and makes them stand out from the other staff.

Diego Rivera,* the owner of a popular 7-11 was having a regular long spring day when, all of a sudden, the doors to his convenience store were flung open, warm air rushing behind. It was a young man who seemed agitated while trying to appear calm, cool, and collected. Decked out in a suit, white shirt, shined shoes, and tie, the young man came running in asking for assistance.

by Malka Katz

 My rabbi was always talking about how important it is for families to celebrate Pesach together at home, so it was hard to believe when he told us, “Get away for Pesach.” I knew why. For several years, my husband had been on a heavy regimen of chemotherapy and radiation, and we needed a rest. Although feeling guilty for leaving family, I booked a modest hotel in Miami run by dear friends and looked forward to a relaxing week. By the end of Pesach, we had gained more than that.

I got up in the middle of the night and noticed it was 3:30 a.m. For those of you who don’t know, this getting up at night business is a middle-aged thing. I went back to bed and couldn’t fall back to sleep – also not uncommon in my stage of life. It didn’t matter how tired I was or that I tried my usual mind-clearing, deep-breathing and muscle-relaxing techniques. Nothing seemed to work as 3:30 turned into 4:30 then 5:00. Once I realized that sleep wasn’t in the cards, I allowed my mind to wander and thought about my plans for when the sun finally came up. But until it did, I didn’t want to get up and wasn’t in the mood to start the laundry or put up a pot of chicken soup.