We travel from Passover to Shavuot in 6 short weeks and we celebrate our leaving Egypt as slaves and evolving to a people as Jews receiving the Torah. Our festivals often include clever bits of role-playing and foods to make these holidays more meaningful. For Passover we share the memories of leaving on a moments notice with feasts of unleavened bread, marror, chazeret, charoset, and more. We don’t eat any leavened foods for the 8 days of Passover. For the cooks in our lives, this is a big challenge because we get to recreate our favorite dishes with matzah products, and not using our usual (and comfortable) kitchen items.
We just finished Passover, and as one of the kitchen committee members, I can tell you that is a lot of hard work. What is traditionally done for Passover preparations in homes across the world is done at our synagogue as well. All of the Hametz and Hametz cooking items are removed, stored away, and sold on contract. The kitchen is cleaned inside and out with everything koshered to make certain all Hametz is gone. Then, and only then, the Passover items are able to be put in the kitchen, and after that, the cooking for Passover begins. Well, you know the results of that. What a wonderful community Seder we had. We also shared a simple Kosher for Passover Shabbat. After we tore up the contract (well actually the next day) everything was packed up and shifted back so that our wonderful volunteers who cook can use the kitchen for preparing for this Shabbat. What a team of volunteers we had to help us do all of this work. They are too numerous to name, but they are all very much appreciated.
From the second day of Passover we begin to count the Omer until we reach the festival of Shavuot. During this time, we will be celebrating Yom HaAtzma’ut, May 2nd,which is usually celebrated the evening before with outdoor festivities, parties, and BBQs, and continuing with picnics and other outdoor celebrations during the day (when you plan your picnic, include an Israeli dish in your basket) On Lag’BaOmer, May 14th, you have another occasion for BBQs with bonfires.
On Erev Shavuot, May 30th, we start the celebration of the receiving of the Torah and the laws of Kashrut by serving dairy foods. Shavuot is also the time to celebrate the harvest of the First Fruits of the Seven Species of Eretz Yisroel with colorful baskets of fruit and decorating with greenery; and, the beginning of the harvest of the wheat. Think of the breads we didn’t eat at Passover.
We’re in the beginning stages for Shavuot. Will there be cheesecake or blintzes to share? That night study session can get mighty intense and bring on the need for food for the body as well as for the soul.
May all the festivals and the days between be a time of joy and shalom.
Jeffrey & Janet Stein-Larson
