The Day After.......

These three words, if you ask me, are loaded and are relevant to so many situations and circumstances. For some, these words denote that something epic or terrible which presaged them is going to bring upon us one or another doomsday prophecy and the end of the world.

For others, myself included, on the other hand, they reveal a sliver of hope, hold the promise of renewal, rebirth and better days ahead.

The seam which separates between the two is not always a thin one and not always easy to cross, let alone smoothly. The process can be bewildering, taunting and depressing to some.

  

And it is precisely on that very unpredictable joint between the Days of the Chinese Communist Party virus  (AKA Corona) and what the we refer to as “The Day After,” where the world stands. The uncertainties, distrust, the need to change behavioural patterns and learning to face and deal with the unknown, take their toll. The nameless and uncharted future results of the current crisis are certainly bigger and more ominous than that which is presently known, a harsh reality that we are forced to face.

That, however, does not scare or deter the optimist in me. I know that we shall overcome these difficult days and come out of them stronger. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Moving forward is our only option. A cure and hopefully a vaccine will put an end to the calamity that has befallen humankind.

So where and how do we begin to address this?

Firstly, any reasonable person would tell you that in order to effectively deal with a problem, one must spot its cause, its source.

Despite all the confusion and havoc, one dictum, nevertheless, remains undeniably clear and factual. The origin of the virus is in a lab in China. Though we are still shrouded in darkness as to how it first appeared, at least we know its starting point, its source.

Having said that, let me explain that when I mention China, I am not referring to the average person on the streets of Zhongguo, the Mandarin name for all the territories of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese are very friendly and harmless people whose sole desire is to live in peace and tranquility. I have been there a few times, did business deals with them, was a guest at their home and spent time in their company. My arrows regarding this sordid “Corona” affair are directed ONLY at China’s brutal communist regime. There are many examples of how that government subjugates its people, how it endeavours to control every aspect of our lives, buying chunks of our world, stealing intellectual properties and others. I, however, am specifically referring to the painful issue of child or underage labour.

Unfortunately, there is almost no available economic study of child labour in China. We do know, however, that “as the largest developing country in the world, China was classified as posing an “extreme risk” of child labor as indicated by Maplecroft’s 2014 Child Labor Index” (Maplecroft, 2014).

That, for me, as  a human being, as a mother, as a teacher is a very disturbing piece of information. It is that distressing detail that I want you, dear readers, to see in front of your eyes when we finally reach the Day After. I ask you to remember it as you search the internet for “finds,” and keep your post offices buckling under the piles of deliveries containing cheaper items that probably originate in China. Did you ever stop to think why Chinese products are so cheap (in addition to their bad quality)?

The answer is child labour.

Why not pay more and buy products made in our own back yard? Why not support our own industries and home economy that have suffered so much because of the way the Chinese Communist Party handled the spread of the virus? Why not make the Day After a better day for our own home, for us, for our future generations?

Hopefully, along the path to recovery from the pain' loss and suffering of the day before, the Day After will also help build a better world for all.

The Perpetual Desert Generation?

Two weeks ago, Jews the world over celebrated Pesach, the Holy Day marking our People’s Exodus from Egypt and embarking on our journey from slavery into freedom. For me, at least, it bears a very meaningful period in our Jewish timeline.

Unfortunately, this Pesach was quite a different one, one that we are not going to forget anytime soon. This year, it was celebrated in the shadow of Corona, serving as a reminder of the fragility of the fabric of our existence.

It is not just Corona, however, that served as a wakeup call for many. For some, myself included, this Pesach, unfortunately, presented, yet another proof that though we may have physically come out of bondage, mentally and emotionally, we are still drenched and perceptually bear the yoke of serfdom. We are still in the Sinai desert trying to make our way to the Promised Land.

Remember how our forefathers complained to Moshe on a regular basis during that time? Here are some examples.

Exodus 16:3 : “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

In Exodus 17:3, we hear a similar gripe when they accuse Moshe of trying to kill them. This time, though, they add, “children and livestock,” thus making the accusations against him even more severe by including these two feeble and vulnerable groups. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Later, in Exodus 32, when Moshe is away on Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah, the Yisraelites lose patience and continue with their complaints. Aharon, who is not well versed in the art of leadership, caves in and erects the golden calf.

This was going on for forty years when all that Moshe wanted was to deliver our People to their own Land and secure their future.

Fast forward a few thousand years. That brings us to the modern-day Jewish state of Yisrael.

Looking around me nowadays, I see members of a Nation and a country that I love so dearly. Although we have moved forward and are experiencing the opulence of the Age of Technology with its many conveniences, something that did not exist during the Exodus, attitude wise, not much seems to have changed. Our mindsets and reactions to serious issues has unfortunately remained pretty much the same. It pangs me to see that we are still doing what our forefathers did thousands of years ago during what should have been considered a landmark in our history.

We are still complaining precisely as did the Biblical desert generation.

When we could celebrate Pesach freely among family and friends, many Yisraelis preferred to do it on some remote exotic island. It is probably and most likely because they did not want to be in the company of salivating auntie Frida and blabbering uncle Maurice.

Now, we have an epidemic, rather a pandemic which forces us into a new reality. “Now” they told us, “you are relieved of the company of auntie Frida and uncle Maurice. In fact, we forbid you to spend any time with them.”

And what do some do in response? Yes, they complain, as did the desert generation. .

The Yisraeli Health Ministry issued some extremely strict guidelines in order to stamp out a virus that has claimed many lives. These directives have one goal and one goal only. It is to secure the health well-being of Yisraelis (a tactic which, by the way, proved itself as remarkably effective).

And how do we react? You guessed right again. Just like them.

We keep complaining while some still refuse to cooperate and to adhere to the instructions.

I could come up with some more examples to prove my point. But you do get my gist, don’t you?

For a nation, a People that has been through so much in history, witnessed so many miracles, saw devastation and renewal, death, and rebirth we, Jews have much to be grateful for.

But hey, if we follow the logic of Cohen’s quote above, I guess the question that is begging to be asked is, if we drop our complaints, would we still be Jewish?

Happy Independence Day, Medinat Yisrael and Am Yisrael.