Happy Passover to my CC Friends

Parents Forum Parent Cafe
#1

<p>Just a quick post to say Happy Passover to all of those who celebrate. As we anticipate the milestone of our kids graduating from high school and moving on, I will enjoy this seder with both my kids still here. Who knows where my D will be next year (she is job hunting - any high school History teacher jobs out there?) and I doubt my S will make it home from Miami next year....</p>

<p>So I'm off to make charoset, my grandma's passover potatoes, tzimmis, brisket, matzah balls and all the other traditional foods I remember, along with a few new ones. We have 15-16 people coming tomorrow night, and out of town company including my 90 year old aunt already here.</p>

<p>And for those of you who don't celebrate, if you ever have a chance to go to a Passover seder, say yes! We have 3 people coming (including a Christian who is now a practicing Buddhist, his Lebanese girlfriend, and another non-Jewish friend) and they will enrich the celebration. The whole point is to retell the story to the children, and having people there who've expressed an interest, and have never heard it before, makes us even more apt to explain things. And they get to see a celebration of freedom, and taste some new foods, and enjoy the conversation and the songs. It's a win/win!</p>

<p>Be well, Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday), and enjoy your seders, and your weekend!</p>

<p>Wish</p>

#2

<p>Thanks , April - and I am sure the Auntie will enjoy it more than anyone!</p>

#3

<p>Wow, that sounds so fun! I hope I can go to a Seder one of these years. Today in our newspaper they had a wonderful story about how a group of women get together before Passover to wash their utensils in the traditional manner. Very interesting. I hope it all goes well for you and your guests this year, Wish it was April!</p>

#4

<p>I need some help. My wife will be in Virginia during Pesach so no matzo based pizza or flourless cake for me. I don't really cook. Am I looking forward to salads twice a day for the next week? Suggestions?</p>

#5

<p>My son is flying home tomorrow night for his grandmother's Seder. It is the weekend before finals, so he will be home for a little more than twenty-four hours. Who knows if he can come next year, or how many more years we will all be celbrating together. She is having 21 people, and lots of matzoh balls. He typically eats about twenty or so. Luckily he only has two finals during finals week, and the first one is Wednesday. Happy Passover.</p>

#6

<p>My mother-in-law is coming over. Her brisket is to die for!</p>

#7

<p>Our S just flew IN from Mass, Massmom. Chag Sameach, all.</p>

#8

<p>dadofsam - A long way to fly in from MA to San Francisco. My younger son said to me the other night how much he was looking forward to passover (basically his grandmother's cooking). The younger cousins are looking forward to seeing the college aged son, who hasn't been home since New Years. Should be an exciting weekend.</p>

#9

<p>I am off to make matzo balls and this incredible apricot kugel that is so popular I always have to make 2 at the holidays. I got the recipe from a friend, and its very easy. If anyone wants it, let me know. </p>

<p>tsdad-
In Madison there should be a gazillion places to be for the holidays and probably an equal # of delis to buy pre-cooked stuff. If not, my h's cousin is the canorital soloist at one of the local (reform) shuls in Madison, and maybe I can find out what is going on there, if she isn't already out of town. She is heading a seder on one of those cruiseship deals. Rough life!</p>

#10

<p>I read that there was a BIG stink in Madison because the PBK dinner was being held on the same night as Passover. Given the number of Jewish students at UW, this was a major gaffe.</p>

#11

<p>barrons-
Maybe they should have planned a Phi Beta Kappa seder :)</p>

<p>... or would that be a Phi Beta Seder?</p>

#12

<p>thanks wishing, unfortuanely my son is at an EMS retreat instead of at the Hillel -- oh well.</p>

#13

<p>5000 Jewish students at U of Wisconsin.</p>

#14

<p>tsdad, salads are good. How come there are so many Jewish students at Wisconsin? I know Wisconsin was one of the first schools to actually encourage Jewish people to go there, but that was a long time ago.
How does Wisconsin keep them coming?</p>

<p>Oh Yeah, Happy Passover!</p>

#15

<p>Too bad UW can't use that to meet some of the diversity goals--might be a little easier.</p>

#16

<p>dstark-
If my estimates are close, UW Madison is about 16-17 % Jewish. (Tsdad- am I close?) That may seem high, but not as high as many of the NE schools. Also, I believe Madison has a strong Judaic studies program. So does U of Maryland. My h. was at Madison in the 70's -- doing ROTC . Nice Jewish kid in the height of the antiwar protest days, doing ROTC at Madison. Not a common occurrence.</p>

#17

<p>Tsdad, once I get through tomorrow I'll see what I can come up with as an alternative to salad. When my kids were little and we didn't allow cheerios for breakfast, they loved Passover because we did allow....ice cream! The one place where we can buy ready to eat kosher food here does sell kosher for Passover prepared food this week. I bet you can find someplace in Madison if you call a synagogue or two and ask. Or ask at Hillel.</p>

<p>Well, we got the charoset done, and the potatoes, and the compote. Brisket and kugel are ready, as are the desserts, and various things are arriving with guests. Table is mostly set. So we are prety ready. Still need to do the tzimmis, matzah balls, and set out the gefilte fish. And make the seder plate. All in all, I feel almost ready.</p>

<p>Momof2inca, you are cordially invited to my house anytime you are in my vicinity on Passover!</p>

<p>Jym626, your ROTC comment reminded me that another person coming to our seder is a twentysomething who graduated West Point - not too many Jews there, although he told us that some of the students who were Jewish but not practicing suddenly became more observant, because it got them out of marching on Saturday or something - and then they also got the Sunday time off too LOL!</p>

#18

<p>Barrons:</p>

<p>There certainly is a real committment to diversity by the most senior level administrators here. Not sure why it hasn't been totally successful yet.</p>

<p>Dstark:</p>

<p>5000 of 40000=about 13%. The 5000 includes graduate students. </p>

<p>A very, very active and well funded Hillel here, which is going to build a new 5 story facility within a year or two.</p>

<p>I don't know why there are so many Jewish students here. OOS from the East?</p>

#19

<p>
[quote]
some of the students who were Jewish but not practicing suddenly became more observant, because it got them out of marching on Saturday or something - and then they also got the Sunday time off too LOL!

[/quote]

Always thinking! :)</p>

#20

<p>My sophmore son is interested in Wisconsin. His jewish summer camp (has been going since he was seven) in MA sends two to three kids to Wisconsin every year from its graduating counselor staff. About a third of the high school seniors have gone there for the past five to ten years or so. Other than the distance from home, which is turning into a logistical issue for my son at Pitt, sound like a great school. Need to leave for the airport to pick up my Pittsburgh son. Have a great Passover.</p>