An exhale, some learning, and some fun.

Passover Break in Israel.

Apr 29, 2024

My last post was heavy. I’m delighted to write a contrasting report this time with lightness of heart and lots of photos.

The situation seems to have dissipated with Iran for now. We have exhaled and settled just in time for Passover.

Since the 19th, most of the country has been in celebratory mood and the Professor has had a break from classes.

We kicked off our break with a day trip to Jerusalem Beach in Tel Aviv.

Monday and Tuesday we participated in two different Seder Meals, allowing us a diverse perspective on both the significance of the Feast and the idiosyncrasies of each celebration. The meals were a glorious sensory experience and while the Seder Meal is engaging, it is a bit long. By the middle of the meal on Tuesday, we had a lot of tic-tac-toe games going.

I enjoyed schooling through this experience, tapping in to creativity and comparing and contrasting the meals in our travel journals.

We also gained an understanding of the Feast of Unleavened bread. I can’t say this was a pleasant learning experience. We weren’t privy on what to expect as we have been with other holidays and celebrations here. Yeast is cleared out of homes for this week- that much we knew. However, we didn’t know this also meant there would be nothing available in stores with any leavening agents in it for the week. Such pivoting and creative meal planning has been required!

Sunday we observed one of my favorite Kehrer family traditions-a taste test. This experience was a Jerusalem food tour. The family divided up in the famous Machane Yehudah Market, selecting and purchasing a list of classic Israeli goods to take to a park nearby and sample together. Shockingly the olives ranked higher overall than some of the sweets. I love hearing the banter of critiques and opinions, and we all enjoy trying new things together.