JCC MACCABI WISHES YOU A

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assover

Chava Docks selects a Passover
wine from abundant shelves in
Israel.

Relaxed Pesach

A Michigan family's
first Passover in Israel.

Chava Docks

Special to the Jewish News

p

esach! That word brings
up a myriad of feelings
among the Jewish people.
We almost have a love/hate relation-
ship with this beautiful holiday.
On one hand, we dread it — the
cleaning, shopping, preparation and
needing to entertain our children
because they are off from school.
But yet, on the other hand, we are
retelling the story of our people —
the story of how it all began.
I always loved Pesach and tried
to map out my cleaning strategy to
lessen the nerve-racking intensity
of my preparations. As I cleaned,
I tried to imagine I was in Egypt
cleaning my house, getting ready
to embark on a great journey with
my people to the Land of Israel. I
wanted to make Pesach real.
Well, last Pesach it became real.
I cleaned my home in Michigan
for the last time for Pesach. Now, it
was time for my personal Exodus.
My family was leaving the exile and
going home to Israel. I lived Pesach.
Now, that I'm home in Israel and
preparing for Pesach here, I find
that it is a different feeling.
Pesach in Israel is natural. There
is no competition with Easter, St.
Patrick's Day or any other holiday.
Regardless of one's personal prac-
tice of Judaism, Pesach is looked
forward to with much anticipation
and joy. Stores offer real sales on
Pesach items, and there doesn't
seem to be much of a panic with
regard to shopping for Pesach food
items as there is in Michigan.
Pesach is celebrated with as much
joy and fervor as in the galut (out-
side Israel), but at the same time, is
much more relaxed. Israelis seem
to take Pesach in stride. There is no
need for panic; just follow the Israeli
motto: "Little by little:'

❑

Chava Docks and her family live in
Ma ale Adumim.

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OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

April 10 • 2014

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