Woohoo! Way to go, Israel (and may it please Gd continue). Look at this data: more than half of the total population has received their first vaccine (the 5 millionth dose was given out yesterday, in fact), with close to 100,000 people most days receiving vaccines (Shabbat has a much lower number of places open/vaccines given). And what's been happening to all those people who have been vaccinated? b''H a WHOLE LOT less Covid: only .07% of people who were vaccinated later tested positive for Covid.
And this has led to the very delightful situation of the country slooooowly coming out of lockdown. Starting last Sunday malls and stores started to open. It's sad to see the stores full of winter merchandise; merchants lost the entire season and are now deeply discounting all their merchandise ("All Winter Merchandise: 70% Off". Except it was 72F today so not really sweater weather, even at 70% off). Every day on my way to/from work I drive by the new, gorgeous Ikea nearby. And every day for months it was a total bummer to see the giant parking lot empty. It was so exciting on Sunday to see the parking lot bursting with cars (and how convenient that a vaccination station was opened in Ikea to sweeten the deal ever further)! The new "Green Passport" is being rolled out that will allow us fortunate folks who have been vaccinated to go to restaurants, hotels, and sporting- and cultural events. I'm eagerly anticipating going to a sit-down restaurant again: the last time they were open was mid-September....
It's a little odd to me that there is even a need to incentivise getting a Covid vaccine here, when people are driving hours and waiting in endless lines in the US (or maybe that was last month?! All I know is that my parents and in-laws have all now, thankfully, been vaccinated and none of them had to go through particularly annoying scenarios).
When I worked in the Old City today, it almost felt like old times there. There were even a bunch of tour groups going around (the giveaway is that all but one was in Hebrew [no tourists let in Israel since last March. The lone English group I heard was almost certainly from a gap year program]). There was even a little line going into security at the Kotel for the first time in a looong time
(okay, I'm not sure waiting for three people in front of me counts as "line". Maybe "line-like"?!) and there were so many people at the Kotel for "Bar Mitzvah Day" (every Monday and Thursday) that I even took a picture as proof:
This Shabbos is almost going to feel like old times! Shira S from Philly will be coming here for her FIRST out-Shabbos since she arrived in Seminary and we are going out for lunch to friends whose family is all post-Covid.
Lastly, we will hopefully be seeing some changes at schools that will bring down the high rates of Covid among our young people (remember, only over 16's can get vaccinated. In a country with 30% of the population under 18, that leaves a whole lotta people unvaccinated). At Penina's school, they are planning to implement a program that will require every student and staff member who is not vaccinated to have weekly Covid tests. Since Penina TWICE had to go into quarantine after she had in-person classes with teachers who later found out they were Covid +, we are really in favor of this (led to some "funny" conversations: "Do we have to give a Purim tip to the teacher who has taught you for several years, but was completely unapologetic about potentially-infecting your whole class?" Frankly, I'm tired of these kinds of conversations and REALLY ready to be done with them).
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Please keep praying for Erik, Eliyahu Refael ben Tzirel Tova. He is making some slow but steady progress and needs every good wish sent his way: https://new.tehilimyahad.com/mr.jsp?r=RF73AslI9IE
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