Pesach

Preparing for Passover in Israel is not for the faint of heart or work.  Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt; it commemorates the story of Exodus. The Jews left Egypt so quickly, so the narrative goes, that they didn't wait for dough to rise. So, matzo (think dry soda crackers you choke down when you have the flu) is eaten for the week of Passover in lieu of bread. Admittedly, matza ball soup is another story (and apparently it's really good fried).

The only way to eat leavened products this week in Jerusalem is if you have made provision by stuffing your freezer or if you head to the Arab side of town and buy pita...um, and beer. Otherwise, forget about it. There were few pastries to be found in the city centre yesterday.  At the shuk there were loads of Passover cookies -- made with coconut and peanuts.  We sampled a kilo of these last week and they weren't really my thing. I'd rather eat the donuts at Hanukkah, and, obviously, the regular pastries.

Passover cookies!

Today at my local grocer, the shelves looked like this:

I don't know what's in there. But it is obviously hametz (not to be eaten on Passover)

Matza Bonanza! Normally this shelf is full of yummy leavened bread

This one too!

Hametz is food you aren't supposed to eat during Passover.  You have to clean your house (especially your kitchen) of every crumb (may be liberally interpreted, but seems to result in a bit of a frenzy as it is spring and who doesn't want to give their house a good cleaning come spring?). There is a ritual of burning all hametz. Last night there were a number of hametz bonfires raging along the route of my walk home (often this is done the morning of the Seder (today) after all the cleaning is done, but maybe some people are more serious). Or, there was a fellow at the shuk yesterday offering to broker deals to sell hametz (the different communities in Jerusalem can be symbiotic!).

Next -- I'm off to a Seder. I've been invited to a Seder with an American Israeli friend (my pottery instructor). From the Seder I'm going to the airport...it promises to be a long night and day and night. I'm hoping the obligatory 4 cups of wine will help ease my journey of three flights and 24 hours!

Hag Sameach! Happy Passover!