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Marty wasn’t very adept at using computers. It took him a long time to familiarize himself with new technology, and he always seemed to be a few steps behind. When he finally downloaded programs and apps he required, he constantly needed to be reminded how to use them.

This past Friday morning, my wife and I were walking on the side of Route 45, a busy thoroughfare in our neighborhood, when we noticed some stunning flowers growing on the side of the road. Since it was no-man’s land, we picked a few for our Shabbos table.

One of the positives about this very difficult period of anxiety and isolation was that I was able to take care of some of those things that “I’ll get to one day.”

During the last few weeks, there have been a plethora of signs cropping up on people’s lawns. Some wish congratulations to graduates while others thank teachers and healthcare workers for going above and beyond the call of duty during the pandemic. There are also many such messages appearing on the windows of cars, some of which include best wishes for couples who recently got married.

The following is the letter I wrote to Heichal HaTorah’s graduating Class of 2020 for their yearbook:

 Dare Graduates!

 No, that’s not a typo. That’s my message to you, dear graduates.

 “Zehu Zeh! (This is It!)” was a long-running Israeli comedy show from 1978 through 1998. It was a series of sketches that poked fun at the obsessions and idiosyncrasies of Israeli life. Now, 22 years later, the original group was reunited to give Israelis the opportunity to laugh during the current coronavirus pandemic. The new sketches poke fun at face masks, hand sanitizers, and social distancing.