The weather has been gorgeous.
What a beautiful Passover week in Jerusalem, Israel!
Time is flying,
so before it is too late,
wishing you a Pesach Kasher v’Semeach.
Happy Passover!
Passover
How is This Passover Different Than All Others?
It felt like spring last week,
at times it even got hot enough to dry clothes.
Passover is a only week away.
There will be extra sanitation service
and special bins for burning Chometz will be out.
Every last bit of bread will go up in smoke,
so that the windows will have to be closed.
But first,
everything from large plasma TVs and refrigerators are on sale,
and as usual, all kinds of housewares can be found on the streets.
Dates, nuts and other holiday foods are everywhere.
Now is the time to get married before the holidays,
although not everyone seemed so excited at this outdoor chuppah.
The Mea Shearim (100 Gates) neighborhood was always on
our ‘must do shopping list’ when we came as tourists,
so I decided to go to see what was new for Passover this year.
The area which used to have beautiful art work for sale,
now is big on photographs of rabbis,
some very big ones indeed.
As always there were pashkvilim, the red one announced a big fair.
This man’s job is to put up the new announcements,
impressive how quickly he works.
The ultra-orthodox community is not too pleased with the
proposed changes in the laws on army service and it showed.
Which is worse for this generation: Yair Lapid or an iPhone?
Everything from new bikes
to a coat of fabric looking like a piece of matzah,
and new designs of matzah covers were out on the street.
This is the busiest season for retailers.
Thousands of visitors arrive annually during the week before Passover.
Jerusalem streets are packed with rental cars and tourist buses.
But this year President Obama has decided to pay a visit to Israel.
Many streets will be blocked.
Hundreds of cars will not be allowed to park in their usual spots.
US flags are ready and flying along the Presidential route.
This year, the week before Passover should be like no other.
#ObamainIsrael
Passover Leftovers
Passover has ended.
I used 150 eggs, large quantities of potatoes, onions,
sugar and chocolate this week,
and not one cookie or crumb of cake is left in the house.
However, there are still a few holiday leftovers that I would like to share.
Flags lined Israel Highway #6 for millions of people on their holiday trips,
while in Jerusalem you could find dancing on the streets
and families dressed in their holiday finest.
Crowds filled Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.
At times there seemed to be more tents than during “The Occupy Protest”
and so much smoke that I made the mistake of calling it “Gan Smoker.”
Gan Sacher is big enough, though, to find a quiet spot
for conversation, grilled meat and a bottle wine.
No need to go hungry in Jerusalem for lack of Passover food,
these matzah sandwiches were for sale across from the Central Bus station,
where “Happy Holiday of Freedom” signs and Israeli flags flew above.
I wrote the last post about the Aleh Jerusalem March
(make sure you haven’t missed it)
and the impressive young volunteers,
but these two children sharing a bag of potato chips were my favorite.
Those are a few favorite Passover leftovers, so that’s it…
until next year, when the buses again say,
” Kosher and Happy Passover.”