‘The Passover Cleaning Blues’

The following is an article that I wrote, which appeared in the April 11, 2024, edition of the Washington Jewish Week:

In case you hadn’t noticed (or perhaps you’re in denial to a certain extent), the holiday of Passover is rapidly approaching. While it’s one of the more well-known Jewish holidays, it’s somewhat unique in that it requires an inordinate amount of preparation before we can actually enjoy the holiday with our family and friends.

In this month’s installment of “Remember When,” we look back at our Passover coverage from the late-1990s. In an article titled “The Passover cleaning blues” in the Washington Jewish Week’s April 9, 1998, issue, writer Sherri Mandell injected a dose of humor into her account of the trials and tribulations of Passover preparations.

“Have you noticed that there’s something very competitive about cleaning for Passover? … Friends say, ‘Well I’ve done the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms, in the closets, over the closets, under the bed, over the bed, around the bed, behind the desk, in front of the dresser, in the cabinets and behind the couch. In fact, I’m already done.’ Please don’t tell me this … Of course, I haven’t even started cleaning,” Mandell wrote.

For some people, the trepidation about cleaning for Passover is quite relatable. It’s by no means easy, but it’s a central part of our holiday preparations and something that many of us accept, albeit reluctantly.

That being said, when it comes to Passover, once we get past the preparation stage, the celebration stage is meaningful and enjoyable. As we recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt during the Passover seder and express gratitude for the freedom we’re privileged to enjoy, the memories of the painstaking process of preparing for the holiday melt away and we are consumed with our observance of this beautiful event on the Jewish calendar.

I would note that just three years after she wrote this article, Sherri Mandell’s 13-year-old son, Koby, was brutally murdered by terrorists not far from their home in Tekoa, Israel. In response to the terrible tragedy, Sherri Mandell and her husband, Rabbi Seth Mandell, established the Koby Mandell Foundation, which helps family members of terror victims “rebuild their lives and create meaning out of suffering.”

While Sherri Mandell’s words about preparing for Passover reflect the pre-holiday experiences that some of us have, the tragedy she and her family experienced and the work to which they dedicated themselves following Koby’s murder resonates with all of us today.

Six months after the horrific events of Oct. 7, we are still reeling and trying to come to grips with what happened. Yet, just like Sherri Mandell and her family, we too have dedicated ourselves to helping our brothers and sisters in Israel “rebuild their lives and create meaning out of suffering.”

May this Passover bring about the redemption of the hostages still being held in Gaza and may our brethren in Israel be able to live in peace as they continue working to rebuild their lives.