Dear John,
One of my daughters’ favorite childhood books describes the start of Passover, when all the family members arrive for the holiday. The narrator describes each aunt, uncle, and cousin, and then says, “We are rich in relatives.” I have always loved that line, because it symbolizes so much about what is important about the holiday, and what is important in life. This is a time for community and family.
In my family, we are preparing to have our first ever Zoom Seder. We will celebrate the holiday across computer screens in multiple apartments and houses, sharing the same traditional foods, each prepared in our own kitchens. Although we are sad to be apart, the new technology has an unexpected benefit, that we can include cousins from farther away, who would never be able to celebrate in person with us.
Today, I am also thinking about the story of Passover -- how, after hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites were freed of their suffering and came to their homeland. As a community, they lifted themselves up to transform their lives, becoming symbols of hope out of despair.
This is a time of celebration. Although we cannot gather to be wholly together for tonight’s Seder, I wish you will find hope in the renewal of spring and the budding flowers around us.
To you and your loved ones who celebrate, Happy Passover. And to those celebrating this coming weekend, I wish you a healthy and happy Easter.
Warmly,
Nancy
P.S. Here is a favorite Passover recipe in our home, adapted from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen.
Passover Popovers (makes ~12)
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
½ tsp salt
1 cup matzah meal
2 tsp sugar
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375°, grease a cookie sheet or prepare with a silicon baking mat. Bring oil, water, and salt to boil in a medium saucepan. Add matzah meal and stir until well mixed and sticky. Let mixture cool completely, then add the sugar and eggs, beating after each addition. To mold popovers, dip hands in cold water, then use hands to mold ~3 tbsp of batter into a ball. Place on greased cookie sheet, leaving space for the dough to expand, and repeat until all the batter is used, dipping hands in cold water each time. Bake at 375° for 15-20 min until the popovers are puffy, then turn the oven down to 325° and bake another 30 min until golden brown.
