'Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make, Nor Iron Bars a Cage'

-


The title of this blog update comes from To Althea, from Prison by the English 17th century Cavalier poet, Richard Lovelace. 

 He lived at a time when the country was plagued by both physical pestilence and the Civil War between King Charles I's supporters and the republican Puritans.

 What words could be more appropriate, I wonder, as today marks the 51st since the moadon - clubhouse -  of the Karmiel English Speakers' Club was formally shut late morning on Sunday 15 March.

 I pen this piece as the Israel Government announces a further easing of lockdown restrictions and the Karmiel Municipality prepares to start a staged reopening of local educational facilities.

 Even last week, parts of the downtown BIG shopping centre were reopened along with suburban hairdressers and beauty parlours, while today -  officially sanctioned or not -  customers were seated outdoors at a cafe adjacent to the KESC premises.



But the images above of the notice of the club's indefinite closure pasted behind its barred windows speak volumes about the  restrictions that we have experienced and continue to endure. 

 Our homes should be havens, not claustrophobic places of (often solitary) confinement. 

 Such constraint, coupled with heightened fear of the invisible viral enemy has caused the murder of women to become 'routine' says Hagit Pe’er, head of Na’amat who adds that the   crisis has caused a "health and economic pressure cooker that will further increase incidents of violence in the near future. It is likely we are already seeing this".

Meanwhile news reports continue to offer a mixed message of reduced infections with further, if fewer fatalities while some sources warn that the original COVID-19 virus could mutate and cause further outbreaks of the disease.

 So while I urge readers to continue to take great care of their health and so that of others, I end here today by reminding you  of the plan to record our feelings and experiences of daily life during this extraordinary period of Coronavirus.

 Do not miss the chance to leave a testament.This is not only for your immediate family but for future generations; those who will want to learn about you in the future. Do not become a vague, unnamed blur in a photo album; be part of the story - the first draft of history.

© CoronaFizz (04 May 2020)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drunk, Sober - Corona Brings Us Strange Bedfellows!

-
Image
It's said that Shakespeare wrote King Lear during a plague year, but what about The Tempest ? Certainly the line "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows”, spoken by someone who had been shipwrecked and found himself seeking shelter beside a sleeping monster, could well be said of Israel and her immediate neighbours in our time of Coronavirus. Most astoundingly,  Qatar Airways has included Israelis in its allocation of 100,000 free flights to medical professionals worldwide. Airline CEO Akbar Al Baker said of the 'thank you' giveaway during a CNN interview that “There is no difference, no barrier in medical fields". Meanwhile,  World Israel News  has reported that the pandemic had brought Israeli Jews and Arabs closer together while The Times of Israel told us that  three Arab Gulf states had contacted Israel seeking help in their own war against the common enemy. All of this has taken place against a background of increased Sin...
Read more

IDF New Home Command Chief Visits MDA H Q

-
Image
IDF new Home Front Command chief, Major General Uri Gordin , has proven that Magen David Adom is a top priority by making an official visit to its Kiryat Ono, Tel Aviv headquarters during his first week in office. During his visit, Major General Gordin was greeted by MDA Director General Eli Bean , who outlined MDA's operational routine and emergency activities.  Major General Gordin saw rescue vehicles operated by MDA teams in both routine and emergency situations and a wide range of hi-tech equipment. Also reviewed were Magen David Adom's activities in recent months in its role at the forefront of Israel's fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. ---------------  .  At time of writing, Israel has suffered 279 Coronavirus fatalities including the passing of the country's youngest victim,  Avishalom Rosilio ,33, from Migdal HaEmek.  Both Rosilio, an IDF Golani Brigade veteran and his wife, Lihi had  recovered from cancer. He is also su...
Read more