Week #7: We’re all in this together

As we get closer to the year anniversary of having everything shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought I’d #FlashbackFriday to that feeling when we started getting word of the pandemic reaching Arizona.

Last year the Jewish holidays were a little earlier and it was only 2-3 days after Purim that we received the announcement that schools and businesses were closing, events were being cancelled and that store shelves were emptying quickly of such staples as toilet paper and canned foods. (For a calendar reference, this year Purim starts on the evening of Feb. 25, but last year it was in March.)

I remember thinking that week how people across the entire world were affected by this and it initially felt like Team Humanity for a brief period, that we were really all in this together. In the scheme of things, a very brief period before protests, riots and election vitriol dominated the news.

After everything shut down, I was inspired to write the song “We’re all in this Together.” Strangely enough, not too long before this, I was working on a song with a similar title with a co-writer, Lisa Hart. The original song had more of an environmental focus, but I rewrote the lyrics and came up with a melody.

Here’s my version of our song (she ended up changing some of it for her version) and this week’s song: “We’re All in This Together.”

A few days after the shutdown, I posted the below video on Facebook as I was working on the song because I felt pulled to connect with others during that confusing and scary time and wanted to reach out to those who might be feeling isolated. It may not be as powerful and well-done as all the virtual concerts/videos circulating at the time by all the professional musicians out there, but it was a heartfelt attempt.