With so many of us separated from friends and family due to the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to reach out. I love to send and receive holiday cards. Paper is better than virtual, but E-cards are a good option for those who don’t want to spend money.
Jewish Boston is offering free cards for Rosh Hashanah. There are 4 designs to choose from; I like the image above best. It will literally take less than a minute to personalize a card and let someone know that you care.
North American interest in moving to Israel has had a huge increase. According to Nefesh B’Nefesh, they have received 900 applications for June 2020—the highest number ever recorded since the group was founded over 20 years ago.
For those who don’t know, Nefesh B’Nefesh is basically the only group that coordinates North American Aliyah, so their numbers are a good reflection on current trends. I do not know of a single America or Canadian who has made Aliyah and not used them, and I mean none. They are a tremendous resource for anyone even contemplating the big move.
Compared to June 2019, when only 399 applications were filed, there is definitely something going on that’s causing such a large rise. We can speculate that it’s Covid, naturally. Of course, applications don’t guarantee follow through, but I think it’s very encouraging news.
The projected number of total immigrants will be 90,000 people by the end of 2021, which is amazing, compared to approximately 35,000 last year. (The majority will come from Europe.)
It is such a joy to see Israel growing and flourishing.
Israeli citizens are in an uproar over politician Baruch Gazahay’s controversial comments about women and immodesty.
An Ethiopian-born, Israeli-raised Rabbi, he is set to become a Knesset member, which is causing a lot of concern regarding his beliefs and abilities to govern.
In a 2016 lecture, he claimed: “Women have to be covered up. This is one of the reasons women suffer from breast cancer, because everyone looks at them and it causes the evil eye. It is also one of the reasons why women have miscarriages. They post pictures of themselves on Facebook showing their exposed bellies.”
It’s hard to believe that anyone could believe such nonsense, but he was not doing it for shock value; those are his sincere beliefs. I guess a rational mind can’t make sense of such foolishness, because I’m really shocked.
This is just shaming, plain and simple. A lady’s clothing does not cause cancer and it does not cause miscarriage. I have personally known ultra Orthodox ladies, who wore wigs and long sleeves in the summer, that experienced both tragedies. I have also known secular Jewish ladies that wore string bikinis who went through it too. It has nothing to do with modesty! It occurs within the body, not because of how we clothe our bodies.
When confronted, he stated that his remarks were taken out of context and amounted to “a few sentences in a lecture.” While that may be true, the message itself is offensive and wrong.
Israeli women deserve much better representation from their elected officials. Modest dress and behavior is a good thing, but when taken to extremes, it can be used to silence and marginalize. We need a rational balance, well thought out and fair, not superstitions and slurs.
Summer camps are entering the Zoom era, with some Jewish camps offering a virtual experience, due to Coronavirus.
Online activities, especially for kids, can be a hit-or-miss opportunity. Along with virtual playdates and virtual schooling, so much is changing lately.
As usual, the Jewish community is divided; some are glad to have any connection at all—even online—and others insist that it’s not really camp and offers no value.
According to the Jewish Journal article, anyone who chooses to participate will find: “A daily schedule of arts and crafts, games and even sports, run by counselors and delivered by videoconference. Even camp-wide ceremonies, singalongs and talent shows will be reimagined from the comfort of home.”
Better than nothing, certainly, but not camp in any traditional sense…
Perhaps the only positive is the reduced cost. Instead of hefty sleep-away fees, virtual camp is only $1.99, per camper, per day, which could actually bring new participants into the fold.
All in all, I hate the changes brought by the pandemic. I miss eating in restaurants, trying on clothes at the mall, and having to social distance. Summer 2020 seems to be over before it started, but we’ll get through it, and there’s always next year to look forward to.