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.
