This blog isn't really that different from all other blogs...

This year's Pesach was something (is something? As it is still happening? But it's not the same... Well, sort of. I have to keep strictly Kosher Le Pesach all on my own - no temptations allowed! And it's hard coz unlike being at home, here I am constantly surrounded by it...Hrmm) a unique experience that I will always remember. First, and foremost, this year is the first (EVER) of being away from home and the family during the Seder.

Passover is my very favourite of the Jewish festivals. While it's clouded by stress and arguments over the right way to clean a bedroom, this chag brings my whole family together in ways that no other occasion can. In my ideal world, its during our Seder that everyone leaves their baggage at the door for Eliyahu and engages (for the only time during the year?) in some discussion about their identity, their Jewish identity. And along with that, of course, our history. From exodus until today.

Being Jewish in the North Eastern states of America is a very different feeling from that with which I'm familiar at home in Australia. My professors have notified the class ahead of schedule of changes in the syllabus to cater for those who go home for the Passover holidays. The campus seemed a lot emptier on Wednesday afternoon as I was leaving to go to Rebecca's family's house in New Jersey. By then, most Jewish students had already gone home. Being Jewish here is so common. I'm not special anymore. I'm not the token Jew in my circle of friends. I don't have to explain myself and my dietry confusions to every person I meet. Even a movie that came out last week titled, "When do we eat?" has become some sort of mainstream. The Hollywood film takes place at a Jewish family's seder, and it follows all the conundrums that takes place during the event. You can check out the website here. Another cute thing I found on the net is this. It's great.

People around here actually know what Passover is. Amazing.

So yes, let me get back to why I love Pesach. Okay, it's not all about the food. Well, some of it is. I love the fact that EVERYTHING is different from the norm day-to-day things. Food, crockery, cleaning, and the general excitement it brings (you can interpret it as stress perhaps? However I like to think of it as enthusiasm) unlike other chagim.

Well, this year, all of that was thrown out of the window. For both the good and bad.

I missed searching for Chametz the night before with Dad and Alana - armed with a candle and an imcompetant feather (as if that will get rid of the crumbs), and burning it in the morning with Zaida: a tradition that has been going on for as long as I remember. I miss Nana coming over and helping out with the kneidlach. I miss the house REEKING of gefilte fish - it permeating my hair, my clothes, my skin (yes, I even miss that... well, perhaps I just miss Mum's gefilte fishballs?) And I miss peeling potatoes to my iPod (huh? what the hell am i saying? no way! But I do miss making Charoset with Nikki. And having the leftovers to last me a couple days after that.) But I miss our sedarim. The books Dad made ages ago that we still thumb through - all that preparation hasn't gone to waste. The different versions of Mah Nishtanah. The kid's performance of the plagues. And capping off the night with our rendition of Echad MiYodeah - Who knows one? Complete with the hand signals etc.
And it can't all be just about the food - but we all know (and now that I've been to other sedarim, I can tell you, those at the Ramler seder are spoilt like hell by Yvonne) that that's the best part of the night... I really don't know how my mother does it. Proud of making their own kneidlach and gefilte fishballs this year, I don't tell my hosts that my mother has made her own every year for as long as I remember - and that hers are some of the best. Mmmm mmm. No, I keep my admiration and pride of my mum to myself... But not here! In cyberspace, the truth really comes out.... Mwahahaha...

Okay. Now this post is getting weird. I've been rambling and whinging about all the things I miss about Pesach at home, and I should really inform you about the last couples days.

On Wednesday afternoon I joined Rebecca and a friend of hers, Ilan, to have the first night Seder at her home in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Rebecca lives in a 'gated community' called Bear's Nest, where you had to pass a guard at the gate to be let through the boom gate, and where the houses all look the same. It was such a surreal neighbourhood... A kind of upper-class Caroline Springs. What I found a shame though, was that none of their close friends lived in the suburb, and Rebecca's friends didn't live in walking distance to the neighbourhood either... I suppose it's just something I'm not used to.. But I guess we in Melbourne (and us Jews in Caulfield) live a surreal tight-knit family life as well - my grandparents are no more than 20 minutes walking distance, my cousins and aunts/uncles are at most another 20 minutes, and my friends live literally around the corner... Well, my highschool friends, anyway.

to be continued...