Friday, April 22, 1983 21

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Passover Vignettes From Israel

By MOSHE RON

The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent

TEL AVIV — In Egypt,
the Israeli diplomats ob-
served the traditional Seder
with local Jews in the Meri-
dian Hotel in Cairo. Some
150 Jews took part.
Matzot, wine and poultry
were sent from Israel. The
wives of the Israeli dip-
lomats prepared the Seder.
They taught Arab cooks to
prepare some Passover dis-
hes. The Israeli diplomats
prayed in the Shaare
Shamayim Synagogue in
Cairo. Ambassador Moshe
Sasson presided over the
Seder and read some pas-
sages of the Haggada in
Arabic.
The Meridian Hotel is at a
distance of 150 meters from
the place on the Nile River,
where according to tradi-
tion the daughter of
Pharaoh drew the baby
Moses from the water.

* * *

A Christian Arab offi-
cer on the staff of Major
Saad Hadad in Lebanon
had heard that the Chief
Rabbi of the IDF, Gad
Navon, had organized the
selling of the hametz in
the Zahal bases in Israel
and in Lebanon. He
turned to his friend, a
high officer in the Israeli
army, and asked him to
let him buy the hametz
for a high price. When
this was not granted, he
proposed to sell the
hametz to Major Hadad,
because it was certain
that he would return it
after Passover.

* * *

;r•--)

In Ulpan "Akiba" in
Natanya, a Seder was or-
ganized for the three Arab
pupils who are learning He-
brew. They came from
Lebanon to Israel and had
also learned the Haggada.
All three recited a few pas-
sages from the Haggada.
They sang Passover songs
and ate matzot and maror.
They even knew to hide the
afikoman and opened the
door for the Prophet Elijah.
* *
The wife of the Israeli
foreign minister, Shulamit
Shamir, arranged a special
Seder for the wives of
foreign diplomats. Rabbi
Peli-Hacohen presided and
explained to the guests the
Haggada in English. A
Japanese Zionist, who is
in
music
studying
Jerusalem, played Passover
songs. The wife of the
American ambassador,
Mrs. Sally Lewis, expressed
thanks in the name of all
the diplomats for the Seder.
* * *
When the meetings of the
Israeli and Lebanese dele-
gations took place during
Passover in Kiryat Shmona,
the hotel owner prepared
kosher-for-Passover meals.
Director General of the
Foreign Ministry David
Kimche explained to the
Lebanese guests why Jews
ate matzot on Passover.
They enjoyed the Passover
food.
On the other hand, the
6,000 Arab terrorists who
are prisoners in the

Lebanese refugee camp,
Anssar, informed the
camp authorities that
they would not eat mat-
zot. They threatened a
hunger strike if they were
served Passover food.
The Army Chief Rabbi,
Gad Navon, ordered that
the prisoners be given
ordinary food.
* * *
It was a surprise for the
Knesset guards when the
two deputies of Agudat Is-
rael arrived late at night in
the Knesset. Rabbi
Menahem Porush and
Rabbi Shlomo Lo•incz told
the guards that there was
an important meeting in the
Knesset, but what they
really did was clean the
Knesset of all hametz.
**
The director of Israeli
prisons, Dr. Mordehai
Wertheimer, a religious
Jew, arrived at two o'clock
at night in the bakery of
Halperin in Jerusalem and
helped to bake Shmura
matzot for his family. He did
not rely on the bakers. From
the bakery he returned to
the prison in order to pro-
vide traditional Seders for
the prisoners.
* * *
In some kibutzim, espe-
cially in those of Hashomer
Hatzair, special Haggadot
were provided with political
passages on the war in
Lebanon.
The Seder is celebrated
in the kibutz in different
manners. For example, in
the kibutz for Brazilian
immigrants, Kibutz Brur
Hail, Brazilian folk-songs
were sung and the Samba
was danced.
In the religious kibutzim,
family Sedorim were
allowed, as it was impossi-
ble to hold a common Seder
without the use of mic-
rophones, which is forbid-
den on a holiday.
* * *
Some 32,000 tourists
came to Israel from all over
the world for Passover. On
the eve of Passover, 124
planes arrived at Ben-
Gurion Airport.
Some 130,000 Israelis
and tourists went to Eilat
for Passover. Many of them
had to arrange their Seder
outdoors near the Egyptian
border. Some came with
weapons to the Seder, but
these were confiscated by
the police.
* * *
A group of yeshiva
scholars established dur-
ing the Passover week
special guards, who pre-
vented kiosks and res-
taurants in Haifa from
selling food with bread.
Those who wished to eat
bread had to go to the
Arab parts of the city.
* * *
The Jewish Agency ar-
ranged a Seder for 350
Falashim in Beersheva
They arrived in their tradi-
tional clothes. Empty chairs
were set at the Seder table
as a symbol for the
Falashim who are still in
Ethiopia and unable to hold
their Seder in Israel. Rabbi
Yacob Ben-Ari explained to

the Falashim parts of the
Haggada in their own lan-
guage.
* * *
Since the Six-Day War in
June 1967 and the Libera-
tion of the Western Wall,
thousands of Cohanim come
on Passover to pray at the
Wall.
The Old City of
Jerusalem was full of Jews
who visited the Wall and
cars had to wait in line
stretching for a mile.
Some 200,000 Israelis
and tourists went to Jerusa-
lem, Lake Kinneret
and the Golan Heights and
the police had to work hard.
The weather cooperated
during Passover. The rain
stopped and it was sunny,
summer weather.

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