Join me, and often my family, as we have spent time in the Holy Land and other interesting places!
Mount of Olives panorama
A panoramic view of the Mount of Olives
Monday, April 2, 2012
A little local color
This year Passover, which begins at sundown Friday, April 6, is closely synchronized with Easter. As a result, even as Jerusalem fills with Christian pilgrims, our Jewish friends are gearing up for Pesach (Passover). There are frequent Bar Mitzvahs and other celebrations in the Jewish Quarter, but today as we walked through that section of the Old City, they seemed even more fervent and enthusiastic than usual. And all the stores are busily clearing out all chametz, or leavening. Serious observance of Passover kosher rules not only forbids five grains in any form other than matzah but also any legumes. This broader category is kitniot, so beans, corn, peas, and even peanut butter are coming off the shelves.
Today in addition to having lunch in the Jewish Quarter after our visit to the Temple Mount, Elaine and I visited the Catholic cemetery on the southern slope of Mount Zion, where we saw Oskar Schindler's grave. We then did some grocery shopping, where I got some interesting pre-Passover pictures from one of our regular stores.
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