Passover
(Pesach) is one of the major holidays here in Israel. One trip to the supermarket or the shuk (outdoor market) even a month or so before and you
will be amazed by the aisles that are set aside with various and sundry Pesach
paraphernalia including, yes, matzah. This year, I tried potato matzah which
tastes essentially like Pringles! Like Thanksgiving, Pesach is centered around
family, guests, great food and drink, being together, and giving thanks to, among other things, the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt (more details
here). The story is told in the Haggadah (Passover
book) through narratives, prayers, songs, and poems during the Seder dinner, which may go hours upon hours.
This year, I
was fortunate enough to have been invited to a variety of different Pesach
Seders here in Israel: Romanian, Polish, Argentinian, Egyptian and Ashkenazi (traditional eastern
European). I felt very honored that so many folks wanted me to participate with
their families. I decided to spend the Pesach Seder with my cousins who live
about an hour south of Haifa near Modi'in.
What a
fantastic time I had! I was thrilled to be able to spend Pesach with my cousins and share in
such a great experience. They had decided to go solo and do something simple with me as their sole guest (although it was far from small). We had a Seder
table decorated with an assortment of beautiful works of art including Seder plates, matzoh trays, wine cups and there was an astonishing
amount of delicious food that just kept coming.
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| Seder table before we sat down |
The highlight for me
was how much my cousin’s kids (four of them, ages 4-12) participated. Each of
them had a special activity that they had planned for the Seder whether it was
a poem, leading in song, commentary, and discussion, or standing up on a chair and
making a beautiful observation about something we had read. It was truly amazing how inspirational they
were and how well they carried themselves. One of my other highlights was the Lego
pyramid city that my cousin (age 7) made by himself that became the centerpiece of the table; he also included a Lego rendition of the Pharaoh’s army and
the Jews' march through the Red Sea (really something!).
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| The masterful Lego pyramids |
I was also
touched by the pictures of family who are no longer with us (aunts, uncles, grandparents) that were displayed on the table.
It was a moving Seder, but full of joy and happiness as well.
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