Pesach Pastiche

Passover Pastimes

Back in the time when the Temple was the center of Jewish life, pilgrims came to Jerusalem during the festival days to make a sacrifice (usually a goat), do their shopping and get blessed. We discovered that not much has changed in the Holy City. Although we missed out on the priestly blessing which took place a few days earlier in the plaza of the Western Wall, we got a full dose of the festive holiday atmosphere as we strolled through the crowded lanes and small squares of the Old City last Monday. On this unseasonably hot day, large religious families and tourists were out en mass buying chatchkes from the vendors, eating kosher le Pesach goodies—lots of meat, French fries, popsicles, and special formula Coke, and enjoying the free street entertainment--a juggling mime, balloon-dispensing clown, Chasidic tunes blaring from loudspeakers. Fathers in full ultra-Orthodox regalia (my favorite: three-quarter length belted robe or topcoat in gold satin with narrow black stripes, accompanied by a large, furry streimel-hat) pushed strollers, carried babies, or led stair stepped little girls or boys dressed in matching outfits--the girls in skirts or dresses, the boys in crisp white shirts, solid or striped black pants, with side curls dangling below their kippas--by the hand. On the other side of town, in the upscale, secular German Colony, large family groups from abroad joined the locals to eat their kosher meals at the cafes and restaurants lining Emek Refayim, the busy main commercial street. Later in the evening as we headed back to the central bus station for the trip home, the smell of grilled meat wafted through the open car windows from the many family picnics in the park---not exactly from sacrifices but the aroma was probably not dissimilar.

Farewell Pesach

Heading out to Hayarkon Park just before noon on the final day of Pesach, we ran into Rav Frenkel in his best black satin coat and streimel, preceded by a similarly dressed son and teenage grandson and followed by his wife and granddaughters in holiday skirts. Obviously they were returning from morning services. As we looked back towards our building we saw a passel of younger grandkids leaning over the second floor balcony of his apartment.

We were on our way to join the secular version of the holiday. Those who hadn’t opted for the beach, set up their encampments in the park--- tents, folding chairs, tables, grills, dogs, blankets, coolers, hookahs, guitars, bicycles, motorcycles, strollers, backgammon sets, and plenty of food. The air was thick with smoke and mouth-watering smells from the sizzling grills. Like Elijah, we were hoping for an invitation, but no such luck. So we continued on, past the newborn goats, past the man feeding matzo to the ostriches, past the picnickers, soccer players, boaters, cyclists and runners to the rock and cactus gardens where towering rock formations beckoned like Stonehenge.

Through a narrow stone passage we entered a truly magical world of artfully arranged boulders, wildflower gardens bursting with colorful spring blossoms, and cacti of every conceivable shape and variety. The path through the rock garden winds among enormous, fantastically shaped specimens of the many geological elements found in various parts of Israel—limestone, sandstone, bituminous shale, quartz, compressed fossilized seashells, granite, copper manganese. The contrast between the ancient rocks and the vista of the modern skyline in the distance creates an otherworldly feeling. From the rock garden we entered a formally laid out area of wildflower beds and rose bushes surrounded by manicured hedges, fountains and water channels, combining elements of Verseille and the Alhambra with a reproduction of an ancient synagogue mosaic thrown into the mix. Climbing the gentle slope of the cascading water to its source, we found a bubbling rock fountain in the center of a dense grove of cacti. From here the path wound through a stunning array of cacti in a multitude of sizes and shapes, interspersed with vivid multi-colored swathes of wildflowers. Every twist and turn elicited an exclamation (“look at that!”) or a click of the camera (thank goodness for digital technology!). I am quite sure we managed to hit the peak of the blooming season. As we exited the garden back into the bustling activity in the park, I felt as if I had returned from another world, one I hope to visit again very soon.

Post Pesach Revelry

On today’s walk I found the park filled with Orthodox families---strolling, grilling, boating, biking---a surreal mirror image of yesterday’s scene, but with a costume change! Simcha, a little boy of eight or nine, asked me to take his picture. His friend was too shy to join him. Last week in Jerusalem a slightly older boy noticed me taking a picture of him. He was kicking a soccer ball around with a friend on a plaza that gave a great view of the Knesset. He ran after me, calling agitatedly to ask what I was doing, worried because back home in London someone had used a cell phone to send his picture to another kid with a message to beat him up. He said he was here for the holidays with his family; hopefully he enjoyed a peaceful visit.