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{{bheader|Apr 2nd|Devar/5770/Shabbat-Pesach}} 

Hi again! 

Monday night was the Passover ''seder'', and since then we've been in the "intermediary days of Passover" (''Hol hamo`ed pesaH'' -- חול המועד פסח).  The final holiday of Passover is this coming Sunday night; too bad the holiday has to end!

The ''seder'' was attended by the four of us, our good friends the Casdens and  their daughters and son-in-law to-be. Also, our new friends the Andersons, and Daniela's friend from seminary.  We started a bit earlier than we expected we would, because -- amazingly -- we were incredibly well prepared this year.  We also ''ended'' earlier than we expected -- and not because we skipped stuff, nor because we didn't have discussion.  I don't know how it happened, but there you are.  I can speak for us at least, and say a good time was had by all.  Of course, the excellent food didn't hurt one bit...

Daniela's friend had to celebrate two days of ''yom-tov'', so we had to cast around a bit to find a "second ''seder''" for her to attend.  Fortunately, we found one with room for another guest (thanks, Paula) and so our guest was able to fulfill her obligations.

The first day of ''Hol hamo`ed'' for us was still ''yom-tov'' for our guest, which was a little awkward.  But we managed around it by walking to our very own [http://www.castelmuseum.com/ Moshe Castel art museum] not twenty minutes' walk from our house.  For me the most interesting part of that was talking to the artist's widow, who must be in her eighties at least.  In any case, the weather was perfect for this kind of activity, and I think our guest enjoyed it.

The next day (yesterday) we made a car-trip up north to the [http://www.rosh-hanikra.com/sitepage.asp?p=2&lan=eng Rosh Hanikra Grottoes], which are right next to the border with Lebanon.  It's been almost thirty years since I was there, and it was interesting to see how things have changed.  It was also interesting to see just how diverse the tiny country of Israel is, in terms of climate and terrain.

(This is the part of the blog where political or other serious stuff would normally be.  But my daughters informed me in no uncertain terms that there would be NO such insertion this week...)

This ''shabbat'' we're having another family over for dinner.  The menu this week includes: leek-potato soup, grilled ''pargiyot'', stuffed vegetables, thermonuclear homemade horseradish, chocolate brownies, baked eggplant and the dish I wait all year for: lamb and fava stew.  Mmmm...

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* Good day for [http://2jk.org/english/?p=197 civil liberties in Israel]
* eco-[http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/mar/29/james-lovelock-climate-change fascists]
* too funny.  [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62T06520100331 Obama ok's drilling for oil]
* Muslim [http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2745449 credit cards]
* Fatah (aka the PLO) calls to [http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=172188 escalate the 'popular intifada']
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Until next week,<br>
Shabbat shalom and ''mo`adim lesimHa''!<br>


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