Yes, I am still here in Israel. My work at the hospital is going well. With the intensified lockdowns, the little shul in the synagogue has been closed, but they’ve still been davening mincha (afternoon prayer service) in the hospital lobby.
Another interesting thing I’ve noticed is the cath lab staff lounge. Every hospital department has one, its usually a little room with a sink and microwave where you can heat up some food for lunch or whatever. People often bring food from home, or sometimes food gets brought in for the staff, pizza or doughnuts or whatever. (I’ve never seen doughnuts or pizza in the hospital here.) Well here, every single morning in the staff lounge they literally dice up fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to make a fresh Israeli salad for breakfast for whomever wants. I had seen the bowl of Israeli salad each day and sort of thought to myself, whatever, I’m in Israel, they probably just get a pre-made container of it. Then I recently arrived early enough to see some of the staff members chopping the vegetables one morning. I just have to say, that’s kind of cool. That’s just not really a thing in the staff lounges in the US (at least not in AZ). I guess the “mediterranean diet” is more than just empty talk…
Oh, and also, the hamentaschen are out!! It’s just funny that in the US you can tell the next holiday by the decorations outside or by the stores selling holiday-related consumer goods. In the Jewish state, you can tell the next holiday by….you guessed it – the food.
