We have all seen the pictures and read of the tragedies which have taken place in Buffalo in the past week. I think my imagination plays with me, and I start to shudder when I think of that cold. Brings back memories.
We lived through some doozies while living in Montreal. I remember our very first big one. There was a bar mitzvah in our shul which had to be canceled as there was no way that people could walk, and the trucks delivering the food had no way to get to the shul. I especially remember that the family making the simcha had flown in orchids from Hawaii for the centerpieces. Guess what? We had a delicious aroma in our home that Shabbat as the poor orchids needed a place to go.
The story was told of a kallah who was scheduled to be married at the Young Israel of Montreal on the motzei Shabbat of the storm. The bride and groom and both of their families were Chabadniks. The rebbe at the time informed them that they should not cancel the wedding despite the fact that most of their guests could not get there. It is said that the bride was seen hitching a ride holding her dress covered in plastic and, of course, the chuppah needed to be outside! I am sure that although most of us remember our wedding day, their celebration might have been slightly more memorable.
Sorry, but I still laugh when people here in Northern New Jersey panic at the prospect of 10 inches of snow. Schools are closed the day before “in case of,” and much is dependent upon the word of the famous weathermen who have so many times made real goofs. In Canada there was no such thing as a snow day. It was the same as every other day, otherwise half of the school year would have had everyone at home.
Nothing can be compared to what is going on in Buffalo now, though, and our hearts should go out to those who are suffering so much.
Our family was also slightly impacted by the storm up north. Our children Malkie and Baruch spent Shabbat in Cherry Hill visiting their son Yoel and his wife Chaya and their five children for Shabbat Chanukah and, exactly on time, Chaya decided to have a baby on Shabbat Chanukah. Very conveniently there was no need to find a babysitter as Bubbie and Zaidie Rochester (as they are called) were right where they needed to be. Mazel tov—it’s a girl.
However, on motzei Shabbat Baruch was supposed to fly back to Rochester. Before he called for an Uber to take him to Newark Airport he checked to make sure that his flight was on time. Yes, for sure, said United Airlines. By the time he arrived at the airport he was notified that the flight had been canceled along with the gazillion other flights that were as well. What does a Jewish doctor do when he needs to get home to see his own patients and cover for eight other doctors on their holy day of Christmas? Fortunately for him, at the very last moment he was able to rent a car and instantly he became the driver of a young man who was headed to Toronto who also could not get home. Through the night they traveled and Baruch’s passenger was deposited at a hotel in Rochester where he had arranged for his mother to drive in from Toronto and pick him up. Guess what? The bridges from Ontario to New York State were closed due to the treacherous conditions on the roads in Buffalo and Erie. I have no idea if he is still sitting and waiting for his mother but Baruch did get to treat his patients on Sunday. Who said that a doctor’s life is easy?
Please, everyone, the next time that they predict snow in our area try to remember how lucky we are compared to those who are truly living in places that at times become similar to Antarctica.
As my Mordechai always told me, “Life is beautiful even when it is cloudy and raining.”
Nina Glick can be reached at [email protected].
