By Inna Gelman, Event and Marketing Manager at Jewish Federation of Delaware
Passover in Israel usually starts about a month ahead, right after Purim or even earlier, depending on the size of your house. You might be wondering, “What’s the connection?” Let me explain.
The most common question I heard in the weeks leading up to Passover was, “Have you started your Pesach yet?” This referred to whether I had begun cleaning my house and removing chametz (leavened foods or ingredients forbidden during Passover). The Torah instructs us to remove all chametz from our homes before the holiday and forbids its consumption during the festival to commemorate the unleavened bread the Israelites ate when they left Egypt.
Growing up as a traditional Jew in Israel (Masorti in Hebrew), it was obvious to me that we don’t eat chametz on Passover, we have a separate set of dishes, and all the food we buy needs to be kosher for Passover. In Israel, this is not an issue because you can find EVERYTHING kosher for Passover—everything from burekas (savory pastries) to pizza to sandwiches, and all kinds of substitutes you can only dream of, which will make you forget it’s even Passover.
It’s important to note that many non-Orthodox Masorti Jews take the kosher laws of Pesach seriously, avoiding both eating and even being near chametz during the holiday, as it is considered a serious mitzvah.
Since I had a tiny two-bedroom apartment, you can imagine I wasn’t just cleaning my kitchen for a month. I took advantage of the opportunity to do a full spring cleaning, wiping every spot in the apartment, sorting clothes, washing all the windows and curtains, tidying the bathroom, and organizing that closet you only get to once a year—right, at Passover.
As my cleaning progressed throughout the week, my coworkers and I would update each other on what we had done and what was still left. You might be thinking, “What a difficult and joyless holiday it must be, spending a whole month preparing for it.” And you’re right—it’s not easy. Yet the satisfaction of having your house sparkling clean and ready the day before the holiday makes it all worth it. Once the kitchen is cleaned and koshered for Pesach, the excitement of preparing the delicious food for the holiday can begin. I remember growing up, my grandmother, z”l, would make her incredible gefilte fish and chicken soup with beaten eggs. Even though it’s the same food every year, there’s something about it that tastes even better on Pesach than on any regular day
Usually, two weeks before the holiday, everyone starts buying gifts for their hosts, and it’s hard to explain the feeling in the air if you’ve never been to Israel. You can just feel the holiday everywhere—in the supermarkets—which are filled with special groceries for Passover—in gift stores, and in malls. People are wishing each other “Chag Sameach” (happy holiday) and asking where they will be doing the Seder.
Most Israelis know a few months in advance where they will be doing the Seder. These are usually big gatherings with extended family, and some even invite lone soldiers to do the Seder with them. I used to do the Seder at my parents’ house since my in-laws didn’t keep strict kashrut, and I couldn’t eat in their home. We had a Seder plate with all the simanim (symbols), read the Haggadah, sang the songs, and then moved on to the fun part of the night—the food we had worked so hard on. The table usually had about 10 (or even more) different salads, gefilte fish, chicken soup, side dishes, lamb, and a dessert.
The kids are off during the week of Passover, so many parents take advantage of the time and take off from work, using Chol Hamoed—the intermediate days of the holiday—for traveling around Israel. Since almost everyone is traveling, the roads get very congested (as if there isn’t enough traffic daily).
Many restaurants and hotels create a special kosher menu for Passover after koshering their dishes. Those that can’t serve kosher food for the holiday—usually pizza, falafel, and shawarma places—close for the week. At least, that’s how it works in Jerusalem, where there is a large Orthodox population.
Pesach in Israel is a unique and special experience, and I truly miss it.
