The week-long Passover festival, which begins in the evening on Monday April 10, celebrates the transition of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. The ritual-rich holiday mandates that Jews remove all leavened products from their kitchens and homes. Some interpret this as a time for intensive spring cleaning.
Tamar Cohen, a licensed tour guide, took us through the streets of the Haredi neighborhood of Mea Shearim where the Passover rituals are in full swing.
Our tour included:
Visiting the home of an ultra-Orthodox family during their holiday preparations and interviews with family members
Viewing the hagala – communal dipping of kitchenware making them kosher for Passover
Kimha Depisha – Pre-Passover allocations of holiday food parcels to the poor
Visiting a barber shop before the beginning of the counting of the Omer, which includes a prohibition against cutting hair
Visiting specific stores (food, suits & housewares) to witness the holiday shopping and other special preparations
