Pesah
We hope everyone had a great Pesah. Ours was lovely, if somewhat low-key. So, not a lot to report, especially since we mentioned last week about the prep. Just a short entry to check in.
One thing I did notice: with just a small kitchen to turn over, no seder to lead, and no seders to cook for (since Sheryl usually tries to pitch in a little on that 😌), the start of Pesah seemed a little abrupt. I didn’t feel quite in the right (or at least typical) state of mind as we headed off to shul. It was sort of like, “oh yeah, it’s leil Seder.”
Still, it didn’t take long to get into the mood, and by the time we got to the Pollock's I was definitely looking forward to a great night. And we were not disappointed! The food and learning were both exactly what you would have wanted. It was just us and the Pollocks, so everyone felt relaxed, comfortable. Zoe -- understandably -- was feeling a little unenthused at being the youngest child at age 16, so she prepared a little Torah in place of reciting the 4 Questions. After discussing her words, though, we all joined in together to recite. And so it went all night: We read, talked, sang, laughed, learned. Things finished up at a decent hour (around 1:00 AM), and we had a short walk home. There’s really nothing like being in Israel at an hour like that, looking around at the other groups of people walking around in the middle of the night and knowing they’re all on their way home from seders, too.
Nitzanim was crowded of course the next morning. A lot of the regulars were away, but it’s a popular place for visitors. The Greenbaums are among a number of families we know who daven there regularly when they are here. We mentioned last week their hosting us for Shabbes dinner before Pesah, and I got to daven with Joseph and Avi a number of times over the Chag. The Tefillat Tal, marking the end of the rainy season, was externally a little less solemn than at home (no kittel for the chazan) but it was recited beautifully. For certain one of the most moving parts of my tefillah experience this year.
It was of course a ‘short’ hol-hamoed this year, and we didn’t do much. We did have one big excursion, however, and that was going up to Netanya for a day. It really felt (and looked) like Miami Beach, ![IMG_20170414_091743968_HDR.jpg](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/db7YGuAJi-2b3U6kgfAqYmbwHXe1vU4_CCFG3SSYCGsmy9fLrLhX_cGN5YA-io2aXSnhoUF3jEHYJpIaSJjBEQv6I2NlwgiGKrkVptj14WHZTOGUo9u6bs3VNrx9_X1PbESoVYD_)
![IMG_20170414_091734227.jpg](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GTtDqvZyZLoRXhapPDCVUYViQLyXVF68b5bPFmgDoZX5WIkFWm1WIbwoVJID_xH48d47M0xTBrQ1GEngi5Tuqd-XIhNwq5cSiWSsQUUlDOi1WqN60HqJTSRYB8ceYdO_4uSiIj3S)
though Netanya has had a large influx of French Jews the last few years, which adds a different flavor.
But it’s still Israel. Quick insight, courtesy of Hannah: Imagine checking into a nice hotel in Miami. Maybe not the nicest, but a good, 3-star branch of an international chain. Now what would you imagine would happen to two employees at reception there who were arguing loudly with each other at peak check-in time. Fired, maybe? Certainly reprimanded. But in Israel no one blinked at the Netanya Leonardo when two women there yelled recriminations at each other over who was to blame for some computer problem. Just another day here.
We got lucky, ‘cause the weather was calling for cool and rain, but it ended up being nice and we spent all day on the beach. The Greenbaums were actually staying in Netanya for a few days and they walked down the beach to visit with us, which was nice. ![Hannah and Elana on the beach at Netanya.jpeg](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZebNsl6c9R222TJAllgYtR0ukPxcFDiENe8WgPF5ryExpHCRXQWdCQeaQqgTDR2m7y2_eljD2Q4YxdtEZSfBshP3mXUwrLG7BPUZVN5paYQZVlvWZeA0Wzc2vzLyM1mHJipzu13E)
The Pollocks were also there (not so unusual for them, since Benjamin’s parents have an apartment there) and we spent a few hours with them in the evening, including some Pesah pizza and then ice cream. ![Hol Hamoed Pizza part two.jpeg](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qtbOoxUUPSw-B_CAHLCUsdin8TbtexcIRWHxmKpDBPNtnB5h9le1TVFwc_ymqAgiz2Rv4Ot8O6eOx768yRQZIzRsUQ5IJGYH_7N5W14WgjBd8NbboopI1159tNSaUZQzjl0Y_XEH)
So that was about it for Pesah. A couple of days back in Jerusalem just relaxing around the apartment reading and eating. (Including Ben and Jerry’s kosher-for-Pesah. Charoset ice cream, anyone?)
Then Hannah headed back home, and she, Zoe, and I all headed back to school.
We’re heading into the Yoms, so hopefully we’ll have something meaningful to share soon. Time to start getting ready for Shabbes here. Have a great one, everybody!
What Happens in Israel...
Charoset ice cream - wonder what it tasted like? Crunchy maybe?
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