Jewish family feels liberated in celebration

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

During Passover, Jews celebrate their ancestors' liberation from Egypt.

Many mark their freedom by chaining themselves to grocery carts for hours of scouring aisles for special food--as kosher restrictions get especially strict during the eight days of Passover.

Nancy Lichtman of Stafford County often would travel to Rockville, Md., for Passover food, carrying four kosher lists on a clipboard as she surfed the aisles of KosherMart.

Even before she walked in the doors of the large Jewish grocery store, Lichtman cleaned out her fridge, tossing out any food that didn't meet Passover requirements.

She and her husband, Bruce, come from the Eastern European stock of Jews, who keep a stricter observance of Passover. They don't just avoid grains but also rice, legumes, beans and corn, anything that rises when wet.

Lichtman cleans her house from top to bottom, getting rid of every bit of grain before Passover. Then she would visit several stores, including KosherMart and other grocery stores in Northern Virginia.

"I'm pretty type A," Lichtman said.

But every year, she and Bruce talk about the meaning of Passover, which is freedom from slavery. She takes care of the preparations, and Bruce handles the Seder's message. For the past few years, he's asked the participants, "What enslaves you now?"

Generally, the Seders include a younger crowd, as the Lichtmans have three children, ages 8 to 20. And the talk often turns to technology and how people rely on it too much today.

But this year, Lichtman came to the realization that Passover itself was somewhat enslaving.

"It was like an epiphany," she said. "I had this moment: Why am I putting so much energy into what I can't serve my family as opposed to putting my energy into the beauty of the holiday?"

Rabbi Devorah Lynn of Beth Sholom Temple in Stafford County, which the Lichtmans attend, said it is a common problem. So many Jews get caught up in the rules of Passover that they forget that it can be a really fun holiday, she said.

"The celebration is in the fact that we were freed," Lynn said.

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Passover lasts eight days. Traditions vary greatly depending on a family's background. While many Ashkenazi Jews won't eat legumes, corn, rice, most other grains or products made from them, Sephardic Jews are more lenient.

Most Jews eschew the "the five species of grains"--wheat, rye, oats, barley and spelt, all of which contain gluten.

The exception is matzo, which is made from wheat, but has not been allowed to ferment. Matzo must be baked within 18 minutes of the flour being combined with water.

Legumes also are forbidden, though Sephardic and Conservative Jews eat rice and legumes.

So what is allowed? Fruit is always a safe bet. So are potatoes and other root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, eggs, fish, dairy and meat (although meat and dairy must be served separately).

Nancy Lichtman used to carry a clipboard with four lists of kosher food products. She got the lists through the mail and over the Internet. But before that, food companies go through a process to get the kosher seal of approval for Passover. Here's how the Orthodox Union certifies foods for Passover:

The company's list of ingredients must be approved by the agency, which has a database of more than 200,000 ingredients already approved.

The agency establishes a list of brand names and specific products that will bear the kosher or kosher-for-Passover symbols.

Special instructions may be established for the use of equipment, which is necessary if the equipment is used both for kosher and non-kosher production. The instructions may require sanitizing the equipment or segregating production lines.

A rabbi field representative is assigned to visit the plant to verify that the proper ingredients are being used and the special instructions are followed.

--Orthodox Union, The Associated Press

Not allowed:

Leavened bread

Cakes

Biscuits

Crackers

Cereals

Coffee blends

Wheat

Barley

Oats

Rice

Dry peas

Dry beans

Vinegar, except cider

Also, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat:

Peas

Corn

Rice

Beans

Legumes

Date published: 4/19/2008

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