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Pip Six
THE ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Friday, April *1, 1967
How Yemenites Celebrate Passover
Yemenites in Israel examine fresh-baked pita for the seder, the un
leavened daily bread of the Middle East, which serves as matzoth
during Passover. It is baked with flour, water and salt in primitive
ovens from wheat hand-picked and ground.
The late Chief Rabbi Kook is said to have declared that this product,
is the nearest modem approximation to the ancient “bread of afflic
tion” baked in haste on the desert during the ancient Israelites’
flight from Egyptian bondage.
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By DIANA LERNER
When the Israeli of Yemenite
origin wraps the afikomen in a
napkin at the seder table and
places it over his "shoulder dur
ing the chanting of the Haggada,
the symbolism is not merely
lreedom from Egyptian bond
age. It is also a reminder
oi ‘Operation: Magic Car
pet.” the project which brought
thousands of Jews to the Home
land from Yemen and Aden.
They came with all their belong
ings, which were carted on don
keys or borne on their backs,
over rough and hazardous roads.
And, as they adhere to the Tal
mudic injunction that in every
generation, every Jew should look
upon himself as if he were per
sonally redeemed from slavery in
Egypt, so do the Yemenite Jews
sec their t wn flight from their
country to Israel in six planes as
the fulfillment of the prophecy
from Exodus (19:14): — “I bore
you on eagles' wings and brought
you unto Myself.”
Small, dark, industrious and
God-fearing, these colorful peo
ple have added much to the rich
texture of Israeli life by their
joy in returning to the Homeland,
their diligence in building the
new state, and other special cus
toms which persist as part of the
country's national pattern. To the
Festival of Freedom and Deliver
ance, they add their unique tra
ditions.
Although today, most Israeli
families serve square . factory-
baked matzoth; or the round, thin
variety, one may find in the Yem
enite quarters and villages, the
flat pancake-like home-baked
unleavened bread known as pita.
On Passover, it becomes the Yem
enite variety of matzoth.
“BREAD OF AFFLICTION”
«J4ade of flour, water and salt,
it is the “staff of life” of the
Middle East and is baked, as in
Biblical days in rounded iron over
embers, or in primitive ovens.
According to Israeli legend the
use of pita for Passover came to
the attention of the late Chief
Rabbi Kook during the early days
of Israel’s statehood. He is said
to have investigated how serving
this product on Passover, accord
ed with strict adherence to the
Law. After observing how pita
was baked, he proclaimed it as
the most authentic unleavened
bread for Passover, the variety
that most closely resembles the
“bread of affliction” baked by the
Israelites during their flight from
Egypt.
Pita is usually baked daily by
the women of the house. The
wheat is carefully guarded in the
fields and, during the dry season,
it is cut, rolled in dry leaves and
grass, ground by hand, and stored
until baking time. During the
grinding process, the women
chant prayers. They must espec
ially avoid shedding tears lest h
sorrowful teardrop fail into the
wheat.
"MAKING TIIE PITA”
For Passover, it is customary
for three women to be responsi
ble for baking the pita-matzoth
and other holiday cooking, for an
—turn to page 7
Passover
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