EASTER IN JAFFA

What is Easter like in Jaffa? The only evidence we’ve seen was week before last. We passed by a Church School as the Arab children, about first through third grade age, were being picked up by their parents. The children were carrying little flat boxes with candy. We think they had had an Easter party. St. Peter’s Catholic Church in the Old City will have Easter services in English today at 9:00.

We have seen no Easter baskets or bunnies, no pastel colored eggs or candies, no Easter cards, frocks, or hats. Though there are several Churches here, we’ve seen no ads in the newspapers announcing services and no full page ads announcing, “He Is Risen”.

If not for Passover, it would be just an ordinary weekend. But, here, it’s all about Passover. Many Jews from the States and other countries come here for the Passover Holidays. Our waitress at the coffee shop in the Mall at Tel Aviv asked us if we had come for Pesach (Passover). The folks here greet each other with “Hag Sameach” (Happy Holidays). The Super Market shelves that hold foods containing leaven or that might contain leaven are covered with paper.

Our bakery that makes wonderful breads and sweet rolls will be closed the whole week of Passover. When we stopped by the bakery on Wednesday to pick up bread and a couple of sweet rolls, the cashier was singing and doing a little dance behind the counter because they would close at two and be off for the whole week of Passover.

One of our favorite restaurants, Dr. Shakshuka’s, closed Wednesday afternoon and will open today or Monday. We had lunch there on Wednesday and our waiter insisted we have the special Passover lunch. He warned us against eating too much matzo (unleavened bread) since there was a lot of food to come.

Some businesses here take a shorter holiday. Some businesses don’t observe Passover Holidays, so we’ve been able to have lunch at a restaurant on the Promenade overlooking the Med. We’re still amazed at the beauty of the water. There are three restaurants all in a row and Neal picked the one with the best view. For three shekels ( 75 cents), we had unlimited bread fresh from the oven: long, flat loaves brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary leaves and slices of regular loaves with crunchy sesame seeds all around.

The Promenade bustled with babies and dogs again. The street performers would come later. As for us, we faded into the crowd and felt extremely blessed to be here.

Hag Sameach.