By Eric Schoen
During the Passover Seder or meal, the youngest child at the table asks his elders, ‘Why is this night different from all other nights?’ As Passover begins this weekend, we might change that question a bit and ask, ‘Why is this Passover different from other Passovers? Why has this year been so different from other years?
Putting on your mask for the millionth time and keeping a 6 foot distance and using that hand sanitizer with its’ alcohol smell and weird feeling, we ask ourselves Dayenu? Isn’t this enough already. Haven’t we suffered enough?
Let’s face it. Our ancestors suffered a lot more than we have this past year. But we are not use to suffering. As my mom’s dear friend who passed away last week at the glorious age of 95 said to me in one of our last conversations,
‘Eric. I suffered through the Great Depression but that was nothing compared to what we are going through right now.’
As we get ready for the start of Passover this Saturday night, we have so much to hope for. Our great scientists have within a year come up with a vaccine that will allow us to be free and hug the ones we love. And if we should god forbid get this virus it will stop us, we pray from the serious side affects so many of us have witnessed including the tragedy of loss of life.
The day after I file this column I will be among the lucky ones to get my second vaccine. Two weeks later I hope to get back to some semblance of normal life when the power of the vaccine is at its greatest. I will still mask up, keep socially distant and wash my hands as I learned to do when I was 2 years old.
Yes, for the time being nothing will change, but come on, is what the great scientists who brought us to this day ask us to do so difficult? I’m no Jewish scholar but our ancestors went through far worse. We enjoy Matzah during Passover but we would not be happy campers if we couldn’t have bagels, challah and rye bread every other day throughout the year.
Before I talk about hope, I have to pause and talk about two experiences I have had over the last 2 weeks. I bring my laundry to a laundromat and to make conversation with the Latin American woman in charge, I asked her if she got her Covid-19 vaccination yet? She said no, she has got to find out where to get it. She has just been too busy to deal with it,
On Monday I brought my laundry to the same laundromat. The owner, a fine hard working Asian man never says a word to me other than hello, phone number, number of pounds and price. He asked me if I got my vaccine. I told him yes and that I was getting ready for shot 2. He and his family had spent all day Sunday on the computer trying to get an appointment with no luck. He asked me if I knew how he could get the vaccine.
Hours later I read a story that Le Mac Pharmacy in Yonkers had a thousand doses and no arms to put them in. When I went back to pick up my clothes I told him this and let’s hope he has luck scheduling an appointment before the great pharmacy runs out.
Moral of both stories. When the supply increases we need those trained to give the vaccines to roam the streets of Yonkers and other areas dispensing the vaccines on the spot. And there has to be a computer program better than the one New York State is using to schedule vaccines. Otherwise these hardworking people will never get them. Facing the public everyday they truly need vaccination.
So here we are, Passover 2021. Again this year I will not be sitting down with my sister, my dear cousins and family and friends for our traditional Seder. No way else to say it but it’s a bummer. So I won’t have to go fishing for gefilte fish? Only kidding.
Passover symbolizes hope and particularly this year we have a lot to hope for. For all who are hungry we hope they have nutritious quality food on their plate, a roof over their heads, and good health. We hope for peace in the world.
With new CDC guidelines we hope for schools to open and children to learn in person and have safe social interactions with their friends. Parents must be comfortable sending their kids to school and put pressure on school officials to follow guidelines in effect. Staff should be at the head of the vaccination line and attend in person if health allows because they are so missed by our dear children.
We hope our youth can participate in Sports and obtain scholarships to college. Good Sportsmanship habits and Good physical habits help our children grow mentally and physically.
We hope for kids to catch up intellectually and socially for the time lost being away from their friends.
We Hope more people will be going back to work and that government stimulus will help create jobs to replace those lost during the pandemic. It is so critical financially and psychologically that everyone who wants a job has one. We hope the economy brings back our restaurants and All that contribute to their success including workers, purveyors, farmers, preparers,
suppliers back to business as usual. Hopefully those that closed due to the pandemic can try to or actually reopen.
Professional sports plays such a vital role in so many of our lives. We hope March Madness in basketball and Opening Day at Yankee Stadium and CitiField and fans filling the seats for the return of sports lift our spirits.
Arts and entertainment are so important in our lives. We hope for the wide reopening of movie theaters in time for Oscars and Live awards show to honor the best in their respective fields.
The last live show I saw on or off Broadway was the Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish under the stewardship of Joel Grey. The theme of that show is not only hope but tradition. Catch if if you can on a pay per view television channel.
So much of our regions economy depends on tourism and things unique to New York. The St. Patrick’s, Israeli Day, Macy’s Thanksgiving and Gay Pride parade and so many others. New Years Eve watching the ball drop in Times Square. We hope these will return and open the closed storefronts in New York City. So many jobs and supplementary businesses and restaurants depend on these events.
We hope that the millions who are flying for leisure follow CDC guidelines and refrain from unnecessary travel. No food nor toilet paper shortages. Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, happy and sad occasions like funerals were families are not afraid to gather together. We need to get out of our sweats and dress up again.
And we hope that next Passover and Easter, we can gather together and worship together with no fear. A Zissen (sweet) Passover and a Happy Easter to you and your loved ones!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
Editor’s Note: Eric Schoen’s column in this week’s print edition is imcomplete, we apoligize for the error. We will print all of this column, above, in next week’s Yonkers Rising, giving Eric a well deserved break for the holiday.
