LISTEN: A beautiful day in the sederhood — from WhyWhyWhy!

Passover has nearly passed over, and Seders, such as they were, took place several boxes of matzah ago. But for many, the strangeness of this year’s confounding coronavirus confinement continues to reverberate. The usual gatherings, ritual and meals were not just scaled down; in many cases, they metamorphosed into something entirely different — something good.

In this episode of the WhyWhyWhy! podcast, neighbors find their way out of isolation to join together (but not too close together) for a Passover Seder. Emily Silverman, a Hebrew University professor, was inspired to propose the idea after she witnessed worshipers praying as an ad hoc congregation from their separate apartment balconies. The result was magical.

For many Israelis, the Great Passover Egg Shortage of 2020 may feel like a distant memory, but for Milton Roller, it’s as if the crisis happened just last week. His story progresses from the simple realization that you’ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, through a dark dream about Boris Johnson’s teeth, and an even darker experience on the express checkout line at a supermarket.

Stay indoors for an indefinite period of time — wait, where have we heard this one before? For those who were in Israel, and are old enough — or not too old — to remember, confinement conjures the First Gulf War. Linda Lovitch, a communications consultant, finds herself nostalgic for a time when, like today, everyone had to stay home in close quarters — but when, unlike today, there were no limits on human touching!

The WhyWhyWhy! Podcast, hosted by Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron, is a collaboration between The Times of Israel and TLV1 Podcasts. They seek out “stories that help us feel a kind of human connection when we’re all so isolated,” and new submissions are welcome at story@tlv1.fm.

Also this week on The Times of Israel podcasts:

Eggs are more precious than gold these days, so ToI podcast host Amanda Borschel-Dan phoned up her good friend and colleague Melanie Lidman, who is currently managing an urban farm in Oakland, California.

Mel has mad skills as a journalist/ carpenter/ garden therapist. She recently wrote this magnificent piece on how to raise your own chickens and this week, from her corner of the world via Zoom, gave a lot of useful tips on how to build the coop and take care of the “ladies.”

Times of Israel podcasts are available for download on iTunes, Soundcloud, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, PlayerFM or wherever you get your podcasts.