Holiday Requires Many Advance Preparations

KETTERING, OH — For Rochel Simon, Passover always brings a “sparkling, clean feeling” that comes from both physical and spiritual renewal. It also brings a lot of hard work.

Tonight, April 8, the Kettering mom, her husband and their two children join friends and family at a seder meal to retell the story of their people’s exodus from Egyptian bondage. The 3,000-year-old Jewish holiday celebrates religious freedom.

Because the Israelites had no time for their bread to rise before fleeing, observant Jews do not eat bread and other grains (leaven) for eight days.

A relentless house cleaning ensures forbidden foods such as cookies aren’t lurking under a bed or behind a curtain. Cars are cleaned out, too.

“I don’t know if I’d have the motivation to clean so thoroughly if it weren’t for Passover,” says Simon, 28. When complete, the family symbolically tours the house at night with a candle, a feather and a wooden spoon in search of remaining crumbs.

Cupboards used year-round are sealed and

Passover kitchen supplies unpacked — pots and pans, food processor, microwave. When the cooking begins, only ingredients certified kosher for Passover are used. There are new clothes for the kids, even new toothbrushes.

“We try to make it fun and exciting,” says Simon, whose husband and children are involved in every task. “The weeks before Passover are chaotic and a lot of work. But it’s a fresh start once a year for our family. It’s a time we celebrate the freedom in our own lives.”