Jewish Values and Embracing a Healthier ‘New Normal’

Like most people, I thought I would be happy to return to normal this summer. I was grateful to be gathering with family to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday in person. I enjoyed eating in restaurants again and making travel plans instead of sanitizing my groceries. But underneath that initial elation, as I stored my masks in the back of the drawer, I felt profoundly uneasy. What, exactly, were we returning to?