The media in Canada (and probably in the US) are gearing up for Passover.  I don’t mean they celebrate themselves, but just as in every year, much space has to be dedicated to the Jews who celebrate one of our most significant holidays.  It starts Monday evening and lasts eight days –that’s worth writing about, isn’t it?

On the first two nights, most Jewish families celebrate with Seders, celebratory meals organised in various  set courses around a book, the Haggadah.  That book, actually a booklet that many people download from the internet these days, tells the story of the Jews, who, according to biblical sources, followed Moses out of slavery only to spend the next 40 years in the desert– eating only quail and manna —  before reaching the “promised land.” 

At the Seder, most Jews won’t mention Gaza

Yesterday’s story in the Toronto Star was first off the mark, in that it profiled Jeanne Beker, the Toronto fashionista and her upcoming Seder.  She celebrates with her husband and two grown daughters.  She highlights the delicious traditional food, the singing and the laughs at the Seder which she will hold at her summer home east of Toronto in Northumberland Country, Ontario. Of course, there is no mention at all of the obscene tally of over 100,000 Palestinian casualties in Israel’s profligate bombing and destruction campaign.

In the Star, I read about the delicacies which will be served at two other Seders on Monday and Tuesday nights.  For the Ashkenazi Jews, those of Russian, Polish and European origin, there is Matzoh Ball soup, Matzoh (unleavened crackers), baked chicken, a full symbolic “seder plate” which is part of the ceremony, plus many goodies made without flour.  Sweets are baked with nuts, coconut, Matzoh and apples.  I also learned of some Sephardic traditions, that Jews from Iran, Iraq and northern Africa bring to their Seders including serving fish, Matzoh, rice, exotic spices and more.   A delightful custom during the Seder, is that a piece of Matzoh is broken in half; the Seder leader hides the other half in a napkin somewhere in the house.  The children scurry everywhere to look for the hidden Afikomen – the one who finds it gets a reward of a few dollars.  

Sounds delightful!

And the whole of Canada can read all about the plenty, the good feelings and the pride of Jewish communities in their age-old celebrations.

Ramadan and Eid in Gaza — all but invisible to Canadians

But it was only two weeks ago that millions of Palestinian Muslims were celebrating Eid al-fitr.  Normally Muslim families used to spend one day in festivities at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the end of 30 days of fasting. 

I hate to play the numbers game, but in Canada there are about 335,000 Jews and 1,775,715 Muslims. Unfortunately, many Canadians pay attention to only Jewish voices.  In Gaza and the West Bank there are more than 5 million Muslims undergoing a genocide and mass starvation (at the hands of Israel that claims it represents the Jewish people) and we don’t pay so much attention. 

During Ramadan, every night in March, after a day of fasting, Muslims celebrated breaking the fast, Iftar, with a big dinner at night.  There is another meal (Suhoor) eaten pre-dawn before the fasting begins. In Gaza, graphic artist, Mahasen Khateeb, aged 31,  told a reporter she was sometimes able to eat bread topped with canned tomato sauce for Suhoor.  She had bread because her brother risked his life to get a bag of flour during “a rare and chaotic aid delivery.”  And we all know how safe those deposits or air drops are.  On 29 February, more than 100 Palestinians were killed and 700 injured when Israeli sharpshooters opened fire on Palestinians waiting for a food drop by truck. 

“This is the month of death for us.”

Mustafa Maji lives in Deir el Balah, Gaza

Mustafa Maji sets down two plates on a wooden table top, balanced on concrete slabs– likely remnants of a wall from the couple’s destroyed home. It was utterly demolished by an Israeli airstrike; now it is  a pile of rubble. Through a meagre food aid program,  the couple managed to mix some hummus, set out sliced tomatoes, a bowl of cut up cucumbers, and some bread.  This was the third day of Ramadan — their evening meal, Iftar, after sunset.  Rather than Ramadan being a festival of life, “This is not the month of generosity. This is the month of death for us,” Naji said.   The couple saved some of their dinner food for their pre-dawn meal, Suhoor, before fasting the next day.   Naji admits  he and his wife could have joined their grown children—also homeless but in the centre of town—however there were more chances of Israeli air strikes in open areas than in what was already rubble.  He lives in Deir el Balah, at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip.

In Beit Lahia, north of Jabaliya in Gaza, Yahiya Almadhoun, 45, broke his fast (Iftar) with a bread made of rabbit feed doused in a few drops of date syrup. 

Eid al-Fitr: what kind of a celebration dinner?

After a month of fasting during Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr.  In Gaza, they used to decorate their homes, make sumptuous meals for family, bake traditional treats, buy new clothing and visit their families.

The New York Times’ correspondent notes that for most families there is no flour (semolina), sugar or date paste available to make the traditional Eid date cookies—a custom which goes back almost a thousand  years to the Fatimid dynasty.   Besides, there is no cooking gas for baking, or to cook anything much.  One grandmother could only afford to buy a lollipop at the market for each grandchild. 

Another tradition is the Eidiya visit—these are short visits to relatives’ homes for coffee and ka’ak asawer (bracelet shaped date cookies).  To the visit, Muslim men bring traditional gifts of money (eidya) to their family’s children and women relatives during Eid al-Fitr.  One small shopkeeper whose business in Gaza closed, said he used to give 50 shekels (about $18.50 Can.) to his wife, each of his four sisters and his eight aunts. But having had to pay outrageous inflated prices for the little there is in the markets, he like most Gazans have no more money.  Cans of tuna which used to cost 50 cents, now cost $10. “If you don’t have an eidiya, it’s better not to go,” said Abdulmutee Matar, aged 31.  Better not to be embarrassed. 

Even before 7 Oct., almost 50% of Gazans were unemployed, and chose to go into debt to afford the $6-$100 eidiya gifts for each woman relative and for the children. 

At Eid, Muslims used to go to graveyards to visit dead relatives and friends.  No longer.  Most graveyards have been bombed or destroyed by Israel.  Almost all the 34,000 murdered women, children and men since 7 Oct., have not been properly buried; many  bodies were left to rot on the streets, while more than 7,000 victims stay buried under rubble of destroyed buildings.

Eid al-Fitr ended twelve days ago but some Gazans noted, “We’ve already been fasting for more than a month.” Every night in March after a day of fasting, Muslims celebrated Iftar – a big dinner at night.  Then there is the pre-dawn meal of Sahoor, before another day of fasting begins. 

In Jabaliya, four kilometers north of Gaza City, Mohamed Jawad, aged 33, said the airdrops never materialised.  He made a “wartime” soup of mallow leafy greens (like spinach) boiled in water.  Jawad said he hadn’t eaten meat “in ages.”   

Of course there is the urgent and indescribable problem of fasting for Ramadan while being severely undernourished, as almost everyone in Gaza is.  Women and children are dizzy, and tired all day long.  Nothing breaks the fear and the monotony of air strikes and uncertain death. 

Back in Canada – I know many friends would like to be a guest at a Seder. And why not? In a country in which Jewish people suffer qualitatively and quantitatively far less discrimination than Black Canadians, or South Asian Canadians, or Muslim Canadians – Jews are viewed as a tiny bit exotic but very safe.  Jews are the model minority; for the most part they are white, they have good education and decent careers.  Besides, attending a cultural celebration is always fun, and informative when and if you can avoid dreaded politics.  

But let’s think for a minute.  

Let’s think for a minute. How can Jews celebrate Passover, and ignore Israel’s genocide in Gaza which is ‘done’ in the name of Jews worldwide?

Amidst all the column inches in newspapers and online, the photos and videos and the cute reminiscences of Jews at family Seders in almost every media outlet in this country over the next few days – did you notice the facts about terrified, starving Muslims in Gaza that you read about above? And the thousands of other news stories  about the hell Palestinians have suffered for six months including during Ramadan in Gaza and the West Bank mere weeks ago during Eid?  

Image at the top: Selling khobeza (mallow) leaves in Rafah, in southern Gaza, in February. The plant is making up an outsize portion of many Gazans’ diets by providing a lower-cost way to blunt hunger. (Credit: Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

For more, please also see my post I ask myself, Why I am so angry.