A Passover Story

Last year I posted a Passover primer (apr. 8, 2007) to bring my gentile readership up to speed on this beloved holiday. This year we can add a layer of meaning, (especially for Canadians and hockey fans everywhere), for Passover, as a rule, occurs during the NHL playoffs and this bond is forged so deeply in our psyches as to render the two virtually inseperable. As a youth I still remember my Grandpa Boris intoning the age-old prayers from the haggadah (story of exodus) or was it Canadien's play by play man, Danny Gallivan??

This year the tradition continued as the first Seder (or Passover ceremony of gastronomical overindulgence) coincided with a crucial game 6 (Bruins vs. Canadiens, round 1). As we made our way through the retelling of the story of the great exodus from Egypt the parallels were unmistakeable. I felt a kinship with my ancient ancestors as never before. Just as the Israelites acted with great haste as they prepared to flee from the murderous Pharaoh so did we, thousands of years later, as we zipped through prayers and wolfed down umpteen courses in order to free ourselves for a trip to the promised land....the den (or as we call it The Land of TV and Sofas).

My beloved father had to entertain the few guests who weren't interested in hockey and as such never did make it upstairs. Much like Moses he never got to cross the river Jordan (in this case a tastefully carpeted flight of stairs) and had to content himself with the knowledge that his offspring had.

And what of our beloved Canadiens??? As did the land of Israel, their playoff venture started out with vigour and optimism only to fall on hard times at the hands of a long time foe(see: Boston Bruins- The Arabs of the NHL. wikipedia). And yet....there is still reason for hope.

Tonight is game 7....next week in Philadelphia????