Passover Time

 Wednesday is the first night of Passover. Somehow that holiday comes around every year! Ha.

Growing up in a non religious home, I have memories of Passover, but the seder consisted of a family meal with matzoh, and Manischevitz wine, but little more. Still,it provided the basis for a laugh of family lore.

My brother in law Dennis, Irish Catholic, was invited over -- I guess the year he and my sister started dating. I was a little feller, and don't recall this, but was told later. Dennis wanted to impress his future Jewish in laws, and brought to dinner a challah. After the laughter, he responded "What? It's Jewish bread, right?" Of course, the tale grew legs, including supposition about the baker who must have been thrilled to find someone to buy a challah that was going to be tossed. Wow -- this was in the 60s -- long time ago.

When I got to college, I would get invited to Jewish friends' houses -- usually Eric's. It was nice -- I learned a lot, but, truth be told, never avoided the bread the rest of the week.

One year we attended the Chabad community seder. It sure went on a long time. Now I notice they advertise facts that make it more attractive to the less religious: "Less than 3 hours. Most in English. Delicious food."

Luckily, since D1 has been with Joey, we score invites to our consuegros' house. They have by far my favorite seders. First, Joey wrote his own guide book, or Haggadah, in honor of his beloved late grandfather. It's beautiful, and concise. Also, Joey's family is Sephardic, and as proud as I am of my Ashkenazi heritage -- well -- Sephardic food is better. First of all, they allow rice. Also, they consider gefilte fish one of the worst foods ever. I eat it, with lots of horseradish, but objectively always think it's a strange rubbery mix of who knows what?

So Wednesday we'll be headed to Ricardo and Jacqui's, for what I know will be a warm and welcoming night. Plus, they just welcomed a new grandson, to go with the two they share and a beautiful granddaughter, so it should be the best Passover ever!

D2 is headed to Jonathan's sister up in Pembroke Pines, where there WILL be gefilte fish. D2 was a bit sad about missing us, and so asked if we wanted a "Second seder" Thursday night? D1 is busy, but Wifey and I are game. Since Jonathan works in the Gables, I suggested we hold said seder at Christy's -- haven't had a nice steak or prime rib in awhile. We're booked -- for maybe the least Jewish restaurant around. I look most forward to this week.

Still, though I don't keep kosher, or even close, I do try to glean meaning from the holiday. Of course, it commemorates freedom from slavery for my peeps -- when they were slaves to the Pharoah. Relating it to our modern days, the slavery is mental, as Rabbi Bob Marley of Trenchtown noted, and each of us must free ourselves.

It's much harder done than said -- we have demons that keep us down -- anxiety, and sadness, and a host of other toxic emotions.

More than ever, I know what I must do: deal with the bad I have no control over, and AVOID, like the worst iteration of Covid, the negative I CAN avoid.

Last night Wifey and I had dinner with Joelle and Kenny and another couple -- Shannon and Skip. Shannon is our commissioner locally, and Skip is her husband and law partner. The conversation was lively -- political, but not radical, and about travel and childhoods. Shannon was born in the US but raised in Peru. Skip is Cuban American, born and raised in Texas. I joked to them that Kenny and I were far more boring in pedigree -- a couple of blue collar Jews from Nassau County.

But the point is, it was an evening of upbeat feelings. There was no tensosity. That will be me, to the extent possible, going forward. Simple as that -- that will be MY freedom.

So we'll thank the Big Man this week, and end with the traditional "Next year in Jerusalem!" I've visited Jerusalem twice -- it's my least favorite city in Israel. If I moved there, I'd be a Haifa guy. But the symbolism is what matters, and for that I will say it with gusto.