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Purim is behind us. The eating, dancing, and partying are now hopefully pleasant memories (Notice that I didn’t mention the drinking, which may have left other kinds of memories). You know what that means. Yes, you guessed it! Pesach is on the way. Close, actually. For those of you who are beginning to feel the pressure, this life-changing article is for you.

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to rise up. The polarity in Israel reached a new low over the last few months. While many people are upset about the judicial reforms, in one direction or another, many are even more upset about the enormous rift that was created as a result of all the fighting. There is a growing group of individuals who have decided to actively do something to calm the atmosphere and bridge the gap between the camps.

I’m torn.  I’m not a big fan of nepotism, known in Israel as protectzia.  I think that people should be treated fairly and given the same opportunities.  However, I would be dishonest if I said that I don’t enjoy the perks of protektzia when they come my way.  So, as always, I’ll be honest with you and say that I enjoy reaping the benefits of protectzia even though I’m against it on an ideological level. This inner conflict comes to the fore whenever I travel.

There are no words. As I sit down to pen an article for my column, I find myself at a loss. I usually like to write a post-chag round-up describing the exciting events and the beautiful atmosphere felt in the country, but this year it felt as though a gray cloud was our constant companion, hovering over us as we did our best to celebrate the chag. This was literal as well as figurative, as we were pummeled with thunder and lightning storms, most unusual for this time of year.

I was going to skip writing a column this week. I like to write about upbeat topics, but there is so much negativity in the air due to the rift about the judicial reforms.

In truth, life in Ramat Beit Shemesh goes on as usual. At least for me. Luckily, no one in my family has gotten stuck in demonstration-related traffic. We did not miss any medical appointments due to the strike. We flew to and from New York before the airport shut down.

This is a sad week in the Israeli calendar. This is a happy week in the Israeli calendar. Yom HaZikaron. Yom HaAtzmaut. Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers. Israeli Independence Day. The contrast of emotions related to these two days is enormous, but they are observed back-to-back, emphasizing the connection between the sacrifice of the fallen and the establishment of the State of Israel.