I've been meaning to write this for the past two weeks, since Israel repealed the mandate making outdoor mask-wearing a law exactly a year after it was enacted. "Dropping Masks Outdoors, Jubilant Israelis Adjust to New COVID Normalcy" blared one headline (not incorrectly, I might add: one article I read found that credit card usage soared the first "mask-less" day, as people went back to restaurants. We waited a bit, but last Sunday finally went out for the first time since September. It was great to be back out. And even better that someone else did the dishes).
But I procrastinated and then Lag B'Omer happened on Thursday and, given the number of you kind folks reaching out to make sure we're okay, I figured it was good to finally sit down and write this up. First off, we're all fine. None of us were in Meron when the disaster happened (definitely not my scene: giant crowd, poor air quality due to bonfires, big traffic jams on small roads and the pandemic still around [although numbers here super low. But let's see what happens in two weeks, now that we've had not only Lag B'Omer but also additional mass support gatherings/funerals....]). We know a number of people who were there (sadly, five people from our city were among the people killed, and Saturday night brought a funeral at 10:30 pm and one at 11:30 pm). A large percentage of my students were there, and b''H they all made it home safely, albeit some with more psychological impact than others. I think a lot of the gap year students are really struggling with the fact that one of "their own" died: its not just that someone their age died, they're trying to get their heads around, "he was a kid from New Jersey and came here for a gap year (just like me). He went to Meron to have an "only-in-Israel" experience (just like me). His school took him (just like mine did). And only one of us came back alive...." May the memory of Nachman Daniel ben Aryeh Tzvi be for a blessing, along with those of the 44 others who died.
It is a beautiful thing to see how Israel comes together during tragedy, although definitely sad that this is a place with a whole lot of expertise in that department. The news on Friday showed long lines of (generally secular) Tel Avivians waiting in the midday 96 degree sun to donate blood for their (generally religious) brothers and sisters who were in Meron. A blood drive in our neighborhood today (that had been scheduled long ago) sent out an update almost as soon as they opened telling people not to come, that they quickly filled all available slots for today. The company I work for is offering free EMDR emergency sessions, and in-person sessions are being given by an organization my family volunteers for a lot (private message me if you need either link). Sigh.
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On a positive note, I would like to share that my nephew Josh and his wife Christine welcomed baby Leah Tian two days ago!
And Erik (Eliyahu Refael ben Tzirel Tova) is being discharged from the rehab hospital any day! Truly a miracle.
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