Last month, I introduced this series of articles by explaining how, many years ago, I wrote a book of advice to my children in the form of letters. It was based largely on Pirkei Avos, whose principles I have tried to live by and which I have tried to instill in my children. Now, I am writing to my grandchildren, to transmit to them, too, whatever wisdom I have attained as well as their family history, stories, and minhagim.

In disseminating these letters beyond the family, I am not preaching, nor am I attempting to give mussar, both of which I may not be qualified or deserving to do. These are simply words of advice to my children and grandchildren, based on my personal Torah education, hashkafa (religious outlook), and life experiences.

November is upon us, with its crisp autumn air and cozy sweaters. Thanksgiving is right on our doorsteps. Unbelievable! I am grateful that our schools have been able to open. I am grateful, too, for the time we get to spend with our families (both near and far, via Zoom or in person). Whether your kids are going to school in person or not, here are some hands-on activities you can do with them for after-school snack or a mid-morning break. Encouraging healthy eating habits happens by having good food around, out, and available. And fruits and vegetables are so much more interesting when they pretend to be something else (like a turkey) and when you make them yourself. Children tend to eat these projects as soon as they’re done, if not before. The older the children, the more complex their food projects could be; adding flair and design is part of the fun. It’s also fun for the adults to join in and make their own projects. I’d love to see pictures of the things you and your children make.

I never fully understood the power of music until this past month, living through an experience whose tune has never been heard before. Seminary in Israel during COVID-19 is a song that makes you laugh, a song that makes you cry. It is a song that makes your heart long to be home while your soul soars because it realizes you are home. It is a song of overcoming fears, creating new friendships, living through untouched history. The more time I spend living the “COVID seminary” song, the more I realize that the music that accompanies this experience comes from within, that there is a song for every great moment and every challenging moment, and that, in Israel, music is created everywhere. 

Many years ago, when my children were in their teens, I thought to put into writing some of the principles I have lived by and that I tried to instill in them all during their growing-up years. I wrote many pages of advice, based largely on Pirkei Avos, something that I imagine loving parents and grandparents have always done in what has been called an “ethical will.”

It began with the Shidduch Book, which I wrote in 1996. Although my children were not yet dating, I wanted to prepare them for that most momentous decision in life: the choice of a marriage partner. I continued to write “letters” to my children and ultimately gathered my words into a beautifully-bound book, which I presented to each of my children as a legacy. I called them Letters to My Children.

It was hard to believe. Remember the date: August 31, 2020. Fox News reported: “A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries.”

The Israeli delegation was headed by National Security Council Chief Meir Ben-Shabbat (who always wears a kippa), while the American delegation was headed by senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, President Trump’s religiously-traditional Jewish son-in-law. They came with their advisors and government ministers to hammer out the details of a historic peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, the third Arab country to “normalize” relations with the Jewish State.

As we all know, a general election is coming up on November 3. It is very important for our community to participate in elections. Not only do elections determine the policies and direction of our city, county, state, and country; they also show our politicians that we care enough to vote, prompting them to pay more attention to our community. It is also vital to show hakaras hatov (gratitude) to those elected officials who have helped us in the past and whose actions and words show that they will be there for us in the future.

The offices we are voting for this year are U.S. president/vice president, congressional representatives (but not senators), and court judges. The City is also voting for mayor, City council president, comptroller, and City council members. In October, registered voters will receive a sample ballot in the mail with the entire list. (The deadline for registering is October 13.)

Because of the risks of Corona, our government officials have provided additional options for voting this year. The options are to vote in person or by mail-in ballot.

 Several months ago, shortly after the onset of the current COVID pandemic, I wrote an article, originally intended for my family, which was eventually published in this journal. My focus then was on adjusting to “tefilah b’yichidus,” private tefilos in our home, rather than davening with a minyan in shul. (See the Nissan issue of WWW).

Our reintegration to shuls has come in stages. For what seemed like an eternity, many of us davened in outdoor minyanim, sometimes under the blazing sun, drizzling rain, or chilly weather, often too early for some or too late for others. Since then, our community, like many others, has been struggling with reopening – and keeping open – our shuls and schools. Virtually all shuls locally are mandating proper face coverings throughout the tefilah. Most provide masks and sanitizer at the entrance to the shul for those who need them.

In the little time that has passed since the announcement of a peace accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (and Bahrain), we have been hearing a lot of similar stories. The predominantly Moslem European country of Kosova is going to establish relations with Israel and put its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem. Serbia, which already had relations with Israel, will likely be moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and there is a chance that the Czech Republic and perhaps even Austria will be moving their embassies to Jerusalem as well.

Far more valuable to us than any other liquid, water is the most precious substance on this planet. Despite the fact that it is readily available, we should not take for granted the colorless, tasteless fluid that forms the very foundation of life as we know it. While we can survive for weeks without food, and months without socializing in person or having reliable internet access (okay, that last one was tricky with five kids trying to Zoom at the same time), we wouldn't last more than a few days without water.

This year’s Sukkos is bound to be like no other in our memory. Thinking it would be fun to take a sentimental journey to “Sukkos past,” I polled some connections here in Baltimore and around the world asking them to share their warmest, fondest, cutest, funniest, and scariest sukkah memories.