Return of the Na-Nach-Knockers

The yellow garbage bins around the neighborhood were removed last evening, in a fascinating procedure that included a truck not really designed for the task... Israel. And the silence of the last few days may be explained by everyone, including their usually-screaming children, having been busy with Passover cleaning.

My neighbor, Sophie, never has a seder, but she will be walking to her 91-year-old father's place that evening. I reminded her of the curfew, but she doesn't think anyone will bother her on the way through Canada Gardens, where her father lives. Even though she doesn't observe Pesach, she was quite offended that people will have to hold sederim alone.

This will be the first time that I've been the youngest person at the seder. I realized I'd have to learn the four questions! I was able to find a video of the song done in an authentic, North American, Hebrew accent. 

The document from the Russian human rights group arrived today. I told the person who sent it that I'd start proofreading it on Thursday. 

Then I decided to make charosis. For motivation, I turned to a Breslover song that I love. I danced madly at first and then, as the song went on and one, learned that I'm really out of shape. I did not actually make the charosis, but everything is on the counter and ready to go...

Peter Jackson's The Hobbit was on Hot TV. I was mesmerized! There were Hebrew subtitles and I was amused to notice that, at one point, Gandalf's call to the dwarves was translated as "Kadima!"

6:30 rolled around before the movie was over, but I had to go feed the cats. I took the cat food and my drum, but nearly forgot my mask.

Music was blaring from a nearby parking lot, the sky was gorgeous, and the air invigorating. I shouted "Hag sameach, Yisrael" before I noticed that the Russian lady who also feeds cats was just a few meters away. She seemed to hesitate a moment before waving back. Bidud (isolation) has, I guess, made me a little crazy.

All the cats were hungry and eager for me to get down to business. Boudica is doing much better-- and she can definitely see! She's the white cat on left in this image:

It was still light when I met Arlan in Canada Gardens. We could hear the music down at the first playground and had to shout slightly to hear each other. He said the city of Eilat is sending a van around to entertain citizens. (It had looked more like a party to me, but who knows?) We discussed the Queen's incredible speech and other current events.

He's reading a fascinating book about American policies in the Middle East-- which began in colonial times. He shared an anecdote about Ben Franklin's abolitionist writings.

Arlan is making new travel plans for next year, when he is going to attend his high school reunion. He's still planning to go to China, on his way to California, and take a train ride across the country. However, after the reunion, he is going to take a three-week road trip to see some of the states he has never visited before, such as North Dakota and West Virginia. He is also going to Washington, D.C. Depending on the timing of his trip, I'd like to meet him there. I want to see the Lincoln Memorial and the Bible Museum. (Thanks to Rabbi Sacks's recent video, I just learned there's a FDR Memorial.)

While Arlan and I were talking, he took a picture of me and my buddy, Louie:

 The moon was all but full. The festival of Pesach is nearly here!

Arlan was going shopping and I decided to go to the store, too, to get a bottle of wine to ensure I have enough for all four glasses. (Eilat does not seem to be suffering from the egg shortage "plaguing" the country.) I did not have my wallet with me, so the Bank of Arlan gave me a loan.
He purchased a lot of food and six one-liter bottles of Pepsi Max. He came out of the store, with a huge bag on each shoulder. I couldn't let him walk home alone.

We heard loud music from many yards and balconies. Israelis are sick of lock-down and excited about the holiday.

In the news: Kids doing their army service never expected to be delivering food to large cities. Eggs arrived in Israel from Spain and Portugal this afternoon. Israeli leaders have still not formed a government; one i24 newscaster said, "the holiday of Passover is when Jews celebrate freedom, but apparently not freedom from political paralysis." Roads between Israeli towns are already locked down; tomorrow night, before chag enters, everyone is required to stay within 100 meters of their homes for 25 hours; Sunday, face masks become mandatory. Pesach, Easter, Ramadan, and Kurdish New Year. Yazidi refugees in northern Iraq are not yet directly impacted by Covid-19, but are unable to get food and medical supplies. Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the UK, is in intensive care, but he's not on a ventilator. Half the people who go into ICU with corona virus, do not survive. Young people in previously good health are dying. The UK's new slogan appears to be "Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives." A Japanese university held a graduation ceremony using robots.