Pictured above: Box of Matzo crackers. Matza (also Matzah, Matzoh, or Matsah) is a cracker-like unleavened bread made of white plain flour and water. It is similar in preparation to the Southwest Asian lavash and the Indian chapati. Matza is also the substitute for bread during the Jewish holiday of Passover, when eating chametz—bread and leavened products—is not allowed. [Source: Wiki] QUICK FACT: My mother is a matzo cracker addict and definitely recognizes this box.
What Angelenos call the "Pico-Fairfax" area of Los Angeles is now referred to as Little Ethiopia, but when I was a kid, it was the Jewish neighborhood where I lived, grew up and even started pre-school. In fact, the first song I ever learned from Mr.& Mrs. Fine - owners of Kiddie Park Pre-School - is a song I still hum to myself from time to time: "I have a little dreydl, I made it out of clay, And when it’s dry and ready With my top I’ll play. Dreydl, dreydl, dreydl, I made it out of clay, O my little top, Now with you I will play. It has a lovely body With a leg so short and thin; And when it’s very tired It drops – and then I win!" Even after all of these years, it never fails to make me smile when I hear that song. My neighborhood bestfriends were sisters Tina and Susan Leisner and my best (ballet) friend was Leah Klein. In fact, it was while visiting Leah's grandmother's house that I heard someone call me Shvartzer for the very first time. Leah and I just shrugged our shoulders at the epithet and jeté-ed giggling down the street.
Needless to say, I have a respect for Jewish tradition and culture (among others); so when I read Jodi Kantor's New York Times article about Passover Seder at the White House, I thought it was pretty cool that President Obama continues to show the world what I perceive to be his genuine interest in culture. I imagine that some presidential critics might think the Obama Seder is strictly a political strategy, but I prefer to believe otherwise and opt instead to shrug my shoulders and jeté giggling down the street - before sundown, of course. ;-)
