It’s September and I’m writing this column in the midst of our second lockdown. The table (my office) is covered with school books, devices connected to Zoom, headphones, and children.
In my April column, during our first lockdown, I wrote that Israel is good in a crisis, but not so good at long term planning. And in July, when coronovirus rates started to rise, I wrote that if we don’t face the problems within, the mismanagement and the infighting, it will break us just the same as Covid would. And now we are again in lockdown, experiencing another holiday season alone, and the pattern continues.
If humans can be counted on for one thing it’s that we don’t learn from our mistakes.
What went wrong? How did Israel go from having one of the lowest Covid rates in the world to nearly the highest infection rate per capita? Well, of course, it was due to the ultra-orthodox/school openings/ left- wing protests/lack of enforcement/government incompetence/anything that someone-who-is-not-me did.
Once again, our hospitals are overwhelmed, restaurants are closed and the future is uncertain. Children are in quarantine, synagogues are nearly empty and every cough and headache is suspect.
It’s hard to describe the confusion and despair. In Israel, this High Holy Day season is usually full of bustle and anticipation, sales and family. Tourists are everywhere and events are so frequent you simply can’t attend them all. Families are together, dressed in new clothing and companies “raise a glass” together for the New Year.
But how to toast the new year when no one expects it to bring anything better, when the economy is down, deaths are rising, and we feel at times no one is at the wheel?
Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah is when we take stock, reflect and seek to do better. So, it should be the perfect time (especially given the lockdown) to truly dissect what went wrong and how to do better.
What went wrong? Well, decisions were made for political, rather than health considerations. Party politics and coalition fears had far too much influence on government decisions. Popularity, rather than prudence ruled and we opened way too fast.
Those with good ideas were ignored, because they were deemed a threat to the powers that be, and those with terrible ideas were heeded because, well, their votes were needed. And while our government (if one can call it that) needs to take responsibility and rule with integrity- to save what is left of our economy, health system and population, is there nothing we ourselves can do to weather the storm and ensure our community comes out better?
Of course there is. I don’t believe we are doomed to not learn from our mistakes. I believe in the human capacity for change. The key is to want it. We need to want to not return to politics as usual, to the divisions and blaming of others. We need to want to look around and see how we can contribute.
We must take responsibility, wear our masks, and socially distance. We must also recall those alone, isolated, hard hit and in need of support. We need to reach out, check in, and call those who are alone, making sure they know they are loved and needed.
We must work harder at being sensitive, remembering those who due to the new virtual access, have been able to attend services and events more in the past six months online than the past six years in person.
We must recall that for many people lockdowns are a nightmare. Their family situations are more dangerous than corona. We need to consider those who raise children alone, some abandoned by husbands and a system that sees them as sacrificial lambs for a greater good. Women chained in Jewish marriage live in a constant lockdown, unable to move on — can we do nothing to help them? Of course we can.
All of us can do something, contribute, help and give, whether it is an ear, a donation or a well placed phone call protesting injustice.
We don’t have to accept the status quo. If those in power aren’t doing it right, we can and should look toward change.
Perhaps the disruption in our normal lives is calling on us to listen, look, learn. And take action. Let us make this year one where we stop looking for the next thing we can get and start looking for the next thing we can do. May we all have a shana tovah.
Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll is a writer and activist
