Passover in Austin 2013

You know you're not in NYC when you walk into your local HEB, a market I love and visit regularly, and there is no matzoh, no farfel (matzoh crumbs), no overly priced fudgy brownie mix made with matzoh meal.  When staff looks at you curiously because they are so trying to be helpful when I ask where matzoh and Passover products are you feel "different."  And I am reminded that I have always elevated being different to a higher status than fitting in.  My choices have always been different given my culture growing up in the 50's in the Bronx.  I didn't become a teacher, I didn't marry a doctor, lawyer, or accountant, I didn't move to the suburbs but to Brooklyn where we lived in a loft half under street level.  When it came time to send Josh and Liz to public school we didn't have them tested for the "gifted" programs but allowed them to go across the street where being white and Jewish placed them in the category of "minority" big time.  Abe and I have hopefully communicated to them that it's not only OK to be different, it's preferable.  So in this context (and with some help from Central Market) we sat down to read the Haggadah (the story of Passover).  The story  of slaves in Egypt being freed with the help of an almighty God.  Abe is a true believer that these are "stories" and I have always been more mystical and accepting of "divine intervention."  So last night our family and Liz's boyfriend, Jared Kinsler sat down to read the story Jews have recited year after year, dipped parsley into salt water, hid the matzoh, opened the door for "Elijah", sang "Dayenu," recited the plagues, and of course ate!  There was matzoh ball soup, chicken, two kugels, pickles (a Jewish green vegetable), tsimmes (sweet potatoes, carrots and prunes) and Liz's favorite gooey brownies made with matzoh meal.  And the most important element in the night was that we were in a place, far from our roots, free to observe whatever it is we observe, free to be different, free to tell our story in our very different city.