In biblical times, long stalks of barley and lush fields of green garlic signaled that Passover was near. The holiday\’s food was a reflection of the harvest.
In today\’s industrialized society, where our foods are imported from around the world, seasons and their unique foods often have become meaningless.
Because Australia is situated below the equator, its seasons rebel against the Jewish calendar. Our winter is their summer; our spring their fall. Although Passover\’s rituals and symbols resonate spring, the holiday is celebrated in autumn Down Under.
\”Passover begins just as the temperature drops, days grow shorter, and grapevines lose their leaves,\” said Jenni Neumann, a New Yorker who grew up in Sydney. \”It\’s rather odd, if you\’re not used to it, I guess.\”
The warm-up room at the \”Y\” where I exercise is right next door to the children\’s playroom. While I perform a sun salutation, I hear a little girl calling out in a tiny excited voice.
\”Can I have one? I want one!\”
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.