Here’s a fascinating letter written by Zipporah “Zippy” Porat, a young American student who spent the Passover holiday in 1948 in a Jerusalem under siege from Arab forces. An Ashkenazi Jew, she spent seder night with a Ladino-speaking Sephardic family.

It’s a truly engaging story, particularly when it comes to the details:

The mayor of Jerusalem, Dov Yosef, had instituted a draconic rationing program that was to save the city. For Passover, however, there was a special ration. For families the ration was: 2 lbs. of potatoes, ½ lb of fish, 4 lb. of matzo, 1 ½ oz. dried fruit, ½ lb. meat, and ½ lb. of matzo flour. Foreign students were allocated one egg each, a welcome addition to their diet. This made it possible to celebrate Passover with a “feast” …

Only one custom was strikingly different. I rather liked it.

Instead of the afikoman being placed between two pillows, as we do, it was placed in a napkin, with its ends tied in a knot. [The afikoman is the half piece of matzah that is wrapped in a napkin and set aside until the end of the meal when, having been “stolen” by one of the children present, it is redeemed for a present]. Then the matzah bundle was passed to each one at the table, who in turn, slung it over a shoulder, and held it there for a bit, symbolizing the way the Jews must have carried their belongings out of Egyptian bondage. When it came to one of the children, it miraculously disappeared and was only forfeited against the promise of a book…

Read the rest and - to all our readers - a Happy Passover from all of us at Z Word.