Helping Others When in Need, "Tropical Snowstorm*"

Things were pretty difficult for many in Shiloh and other mountain villages this past Shabbat (and longer.)  As I've already blogged, we haven't had normal/proper/whatever you want to call it electricity since late Thursday night, sometime between midnight and 4am.  When I woke to my alarm at 4:15 to drink water and coffee before the 10th of Tevet Fast was to begin, about the only one allowed to fall on the Eve of Shabbat, I saw that the house was totally dark and went back to sleep.  And I must admit that I was so cold I didn't feel hungry at all. It was the easiest fast ever.



This picture was taken before I went to sleep.  Let this just whet your appetite for snow pictures, because bli neder sometime when I'm home and there's full internet, electricity etc., I'll send you some truly amazing ones.  You'd think it's New York or maybe even Chicago or Toronto or a Swiss sky village.

*I call it a "Tropical Snowstorm," because there was thunder and lightening at times, like a tropical storm.

The neighbor whose job it is to handle all sorts of social planning became the emergency social worker.  She and her "staff" distributed non-electric heaters and fuel to the elderly and homes with babies. Neighbors with non-electric heaters invited all they could find for Shabbat meals.  I even heard that packaged meals were given out to the elderly.

My husband and I sort of fell between the cracks here.  We're old in an empty nest, but not elderly.  Baruch Hashem, thank G-d we did fine, and our Shabbat lunch guest, a young neighbor didn't even complain that the chicken we served was cold.  At least I had baked challah on Thursday, because I was bored and had the time and wanted to warm the house.

My husband made it to shul (synagogue) to pray on-time weekdays and Shabbat, as if all was normal. Years ago, after the big storm in the early 1990's he bought himself some super high rubber boots which live in our front coat closet. They were perfect.  And it was also great that railings were put up by our front stoop when we had my father living with us, so we could hold on when walking up and down.  And on the path the the shul there are matching railings put up where there are steps when my neighbor's father lived with her. Without them, the walk or just getting out of the house would have been much more dangerous.  Call that an added bonus to the mitzvah  of kibbud av v'em, honoring one's father and mother.

One of the young families in Shiloh in which the wife is due soon with a baby made public email announcements that they were traveling south to family there, so that neighbors wouldn't worry.

When another neighbor mentioned to me that her teenage son's only shoes were dripping wet, I happily gave her a couple of pairs that my sons had left at home years ago.  It later ended up that they left for Ofra the same time my son-in-law came for me.  Since their car was super full, the son went with us, and I told him that if he ever needs something, just give me a call.

For sure everybody who could help others did.  At least that's how if seems to me.