Jerusalem during the Corona Crisis - part 9

March 29, 2020

“You’re too early!” Chanah greeted me when we showed up around 11 a.m. “They are not ready yet!”

Indeed, I noticed that in the restaurant downstairs the volunteers were waiting for the cook to finish so they could start filling the plastic containers. One of the volunteers had been questioned by the police and then sent back to his home because he could not show any permit to be out on the street. It wasn’t enough when he told them he was volunteering at the Hineni humanitarian restaurant.

On our way to the center police set up a roadblock on the other side of the street. They were definitely looking for someone specifically – perhaps a Corona positive person who escaped from quarantine. In the last couple of days, police have made several arrests and fined people for disobeying or violating the restrictions.

While we waited for the meals to be ready, I interviewed Benjamin to be posted on FB. Benjamin, Channa and Kochava, the Hineni office workers were constantly on the phone with government officials, trying to obtain permits for the Hineni staff AND the volunteers. It seemed a total lockdown was imminent because a large segment of the population (orthodox Jews and Arabs) continue to disobey government orders. What makes it extra hard is that the Jewish population is preparing for Passover, beginning next week, while the Muslim population prepares for Ramadan. At least the Christian population doesn’t have too much preparations for Good Friday and Resurrection day because those holidays don’t involve special meals.

11.45 a.m. we were ready to roll – only 2 addresses today.

Canada Hostel in Armon haNatsiv was to receive 130 meals and from there we drove again to Gilo, where a hostel for special needs people received 90 meals. Roslyn, the house father and his assistant Israel, expressed their gratefulness on a short video and later sent me a message that they had already distributed the meals.

“We’re able to get permits,” Kochava texted me, “but I need your ID numbers and the car number a.s.a.p.”

That was good news, but the trouble was getting hold of the ICEJ volunteers who also wanted to help.

Our local supermarket was busy as ever. Some people wore masks, others only gloves. The food products are changing to ‘kosher le Pesach’. In Israel, I haven’t noticed people hoarding toilet paper, etc. They probably are too busy trying to stay afloat financially and prepare for the Pesach holiday.  

Wednesday, we have to pay our rent, and we’ll have to ask our landlord if we can pay 2/3 instead of the full amount, otherwise there’s not enough to live on. At least Wim receives a small pension, that is more than many people who lost their jobs and now have no income at all.

During these troubled times, we are to remind ourselves: