Lesser-Known Aspects of the Holiday
There are certain aspects surrounding Passover that are embedded in Israeli culture; below, I briefly describe some of those that you might not have known about.
General Renewal: The month leading up to Passover is geared to renewal. To judge by the advertisements on Israeli media, this is not just about spring cleaning, but a much broader renewal: from furniture in your home, to air conditioning, to a new car, to gym membership, to swimming lessons, to mindfulness training.
The Passover-Eve Traffic Jam: A relatively large proportion of Israel’s population lives in the center of the country, within an hour’s drive (non-peak) of Tel Aviv, the country’s business and cultural capital. On the eve of Passover, a lot of these Israelis travel to celebrate the Seder with savta and/or other family. It’s a tradition in Israeli culture to either get stuck in these huge traffic jams or to experience schadenfreude in light of them. And yes, there are always those stories of religiously observant families who, realizing that there is no way that they will get to their destination before the holiday begins at sundown, veer off to a nearby town, somehow find a family willing to welcome them not just for the Seder but for sleeping accommodations and meals the next day—and inevitably all involved speak of this as the most powerful and meaningful Seder of their lives.
Chocolate Spread: This culinary delight, a staple of Israeli children’s sandwiches for aruchat eser (the 10 a.m. meal), reaches its zenith on Pesach. For some, or so the advertisements would have us believe, it wouldn’t be Passover without chocolate spread and matzo. Chocolate spread has the texture of cream cheese and it comes in dairy or pareve options. I never ate this product growing up, but I have to admit that the creamy, sweet chocolate combined with the crunchy, bland matza is a winning combination—so winning that you sometimes wonder whether going through complicated recipes with matzo meal, potato starch and egg whites produces a dessert that is substantially better. In order to avoid tragic scenes, though, if you have observant people at your table and you are having a meat meal, make sure to have the pareve version of the chocolate spread. [Helpful holiday hint: At Purim time, chocolate spread and peanut butter make fabulous Reese’s hamantashen!]
The Great Passover Escape: Many Israelis use the Passover holiday for a trip abroad. After all, the first and last days of Passover are state holidays, and Passover eve and the interim days are partial holidays as well. Plus, if you have kids, you need to do something with them. Israelis with a sense of tradition and/or family who cause them “rigshee” (short for “rigshay asham,” “guilt feelings”), stay for the Seder and fly out to a nearby destination (say Cyprus) the day after. Depending on what you prefer, whether a luxury villa, a bed and breakfast, an all-inclusive hotel (either regular or Kosher for Passover), it will often all be much cheaper abroad than the Israeli equivalent—even with factoring in the cost of the airfare and car rental. Similar to Passover eve, the huge crowds at the airport, particularly on the day after the Seder, are ingrained in Israeli culture, and for those not in them, provoke a pleasant schadenfreude.
Endnote: Please learn from my mistake and think of Passover eve as akin to the eve of Yom Kippur rather than to Fridays (Sabbath eves) or the eves of other holidays, in terms of store-closings and public transportation. When I was a student in Jerusalem I, not knowing this rule, showed up at the city’s central bus station at about 2 p.m. only to learn that I had missed the last bus to Kirya Arba. I shamefacedly canceled with my hosts and had to scramble. Thankfully, the Staviskys, old family friends, lived near where my yeshivah was in Jerusalem, and they graciously hosted me for Seder. It was very meaningful.
Happy holiday.
TEDDY WEINBERGER is a contributing writer to Jlife magazine. He made aliyah with his family in 1997 from Miami, where he was an assistant professor of religious studies. Teddy and his wife, Sarah Jane Ross, have five children.
