This has been a very weird Purim. In these times though, weird is okay. As long as you are not sick and passing it along, it’s okay.
As a sometime member of the New Rochelle community, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus, I have watched the closure of our schools, shul and the self-quarantine of friends and family. Even the word “self-quarantine” seems odd except on a dystopian television show. And, the coincidence of coronavirus with Purim brings the past alive and the need to stand up and do what we can for one another. A synagogue in Fair Lawn, New Jersey gathered their community’s mishloach manot and will be distributing it to homes in New Rochelle later today. Last week, UJA packed up and distributed Shabbat food boxes from a cancelled dinner. SAR Academy and High School have had regular online classes since last week. In a crisis, you appreciate kindness just a little more. And in ways big and small, people are somehow managing with a little help from their friends.
Our schools in Israel are all open and at the moment, we are not aware of any student, family member or staff with exposure to coronavirus. Two students (out of 37,000) who came back from a ski trip to Europe have been self-quarantined. Our school head, Dr. Amnon Eldar, who was also in Europe is quarantined and working from home. AMIT has contingency plans should the HQ or any of our schools need to close.
Unfortunately, Israel is used to danger. We have had experience with school closures in Sderot where students have had to stay home for extended periods, and we have run online educational programming in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Our teacher communities have content ready in physics, math, English and Talmud and we will be supported in other areas by the Ministry. Our technological platforms are robust and able to handle online learning, should we need it. And, HQ is working on developing an emotional support system for anyone – student, staff or family member – that needs to be in quarantine.
Midreshet AMIT students are celebrating Purim in style, but their administration has been informed that a number of students will be leaving in advance of the official March 25 Passover vacation. Our dorms will stay open through the holiday and if any students cannot get home or have plans disrupted, we will make sure that they are well taken care of, preferably in one of our staff’s homes. If it proves necessary, Midreshet AMIT will also institute online classes.
AMIT is doing what it can to prepare for the worst, which hopefully will not come.
Whether you are celebrating Purim virtually (my grandchildren and I will be having a virtual cupcake decorating contest later today) or in the flesh, I hope that you can be in the spirit. The situation in my community makes me more aware of the stress AMIT kids face and more thankful for their amazing resilience. As I listen to the Megillah again this morning, I will pay attention to Esther and Mordechai’s conversations about communal responsibility in an age of danger and try to remember the same lesson today.
And if nothing else, you will definitely have something to tell your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren about.
A Happy Purim to all,
Audrey
