MULTICULTURAL MANNERS : A Passover Gift of Questionable Taste

Two weeks before Passover, Helen, an observant Jew, begins ridding her house of all traces of chometz, or leavening. Every crumb has been removed for the eight-day festival commemorating the exodus of Jews from Egypt and the Passover Seder, or ritual meal, to which she has invited Natalie, a non-religious cousin.

When Natalie arrives, she hands her hostess a cake. Dismayed, Helen scolds, “How could you have brought a cake into this house after I worked so hard getting rid of the chometz? “

Shocked, Natalie explains that the cake is from a commercial bakery she thought was Jewish-owned.

What went wrong?

Natalie assumed that a cake from any Jewish bakery would be appropriate. But Jewish ownership does not guarantee adherence to dietary codes. Even if a bakery makes kosher products, it does not mean the goods are kosher for Passover, which begins at sunset tonight. That requires a special ritual.

Although Natalie was Jewish, she was non-religious. She had little awareness of the details of the Passover requirement that all leavening be eliminated. Rule: Even members of the same ethnic or cultural group may not observe traditions in the same way. An explanation of practices may be helpful.