Israel At Rosh Hashannah

First of All, Shannah Tova- May everyone you know have a healthy year!

Here in Israel, it is a very frustrating and sad New Year. These past few months have had the feel of watching a slow-motion train wreck taking place, and having no ability to stop it. As a columnist and part-time TV commentator, I know that what I say will have no real effect, but still, you somehow hope against hope that someone is listening. In this case, its clear no one has been listening here in Israel. Not the public, which is mainly in denial as younger people have been packing the bars and restaurants, and people our age are interacting with their grandchildren who have been in school until yesterday and indeed not the government who have waited until today to take any action. The failure of the government to take any action over the past two months is staggering; the only thing more staggering is the inability of anyone including from Blue and White, to admit that any mistakes have been made. 

A semi curfew is starting this afternoon, but you can go only 1,000 meters from your house. But there are many exceptions. Companies can work as usual, which, much to my surprise, many larger companies will continue work from their offices. The curfew officially started at 2 PM; having just been out near my house, I can say the roads are full of people planning to ignore it.

At least the schools are now closed, schools that should never be opened at our current infection rate. We had 5238 new cases yesterday, which is the equivalent of the US having 190,000 cases in one day. Tonight and tomorrow, I expect there will be crowds in many synagogues.

Whatever little respect I had for Israeli Rabbis ( I must admit it was minimal) has gone to way below zero. My limited 12 years of Day School knowledge of Halacha tells me that Pichuch Nefesh ( saving a life) is more important than almost anything else. The Rabbis of this country should have announced that everyone should take a Machzor and pray at home. All studies have shown that churches and synagogues are one of the worse places for being infected. Every life lost because of services this weekend is on the Rabbis, who did not stop it.

The last group I am angry at is the Israeli opposition. Have they been calling for stricter rules? No, they have been complaining and opposing whatever rules the government has tried to impose. In addition, I wish they would stop their mass demonstrations against Netanyahu. I am the first to wish him to leave office and think it's absurd that someone who was indicted even ran. I also believe he is doing terrible ongoing damage to the country. All that said, the demonstrations are not going to remove him from office, and in time a pandemic, even if very few get infected at the protests, it looks terrible, and the left in this country needs to model good behavior, not the opposite.

One final note, and that on the American side. I am cautiously optimistic that VP Biden is going to win. I always thought that the fact there are no third-party candidates and that he is not hated irrationally the way Hilary was, gave Biden an advantage. But to me, it is unbelievable that this is even a race at this point. Trump is, without a doubt, the worse President in US history. I am not even talking about his policies; I am talking about his ability to implement policy. The fact that he has supporters even though every second word from his mouth is a lie is astounding. The fact that his supporters think he accomplished anything shows the power of partisan media. What also seems clear is that way too many Americans hate the other way too much- be it immigrants, city dwellers, elites, African Americans, and yes, often Jews is scary. Unfortunately, it is that hatred more than anything else (except maybe tax cuts) that unites his supporters.

Here is hoping for a functional vaccine, health for everyone, and a chance to see many of you in person in the upcoming year!!!