The Torah of Rochelle Zell
Bird Tracks in the Sand Rabbi Zachary Silver Rabbi Silver wrote this message to the school community on May 4. Where were you during the last day before quarantine? Who were the people at your last Shabbat dinner? What were some of the conversations you had while there? Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard variations of these questions being asked among friends. The image that most comes to my mind is from the Friday in March when students and faculty returned to school to pick up the books that we would all need for remote learning. People headed to their lockers and their offices. And then they just ended up staying at school. Some camped out in the senior hallway, others on the third floor near the freshmen lockers. There was a senior who asked her teacher, “Is it ok if I give you a hug?” Nobody wanted to leave. As we enter the eighth week in quarantine, I am reminded of a poem by Israeli poet laureate Yehuda Amichai:
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עקבות רגלי ציפורים בחול אשר על שפת הים , לזכור דברים,כמו כתב–יד שמשהו רשם ומקומות,מספרים, שמות עקבות ציפורים בחול בלילה אבל לא ראיתי, נשארות גם ביום את הציפור שהטביעה אותן כך האלהים Bird tracks in the sand by the shore of the sea. Like handwriting that someone left, to remember Words, names, numbers, and places. Bird tracks in the sand at night Remain also in the day, but I didn’t see The bird that left them there. That’s the way it is with God. The eighth week in quarantine is tougher than the first and second. We are the Israelites wandering in the desert and it is not clear when we will reach the Promised Land. Several weeks ago, there was a new creative spirit about creating routines; now, we are in the midst of them, and we have new uncertainty that has compounded over time. See Silver, next page
