Rachael Posted:

I hope everyone had a great Pesach – mine was a little challenging.  The actual holiday part was wonderful, the Seders were family filled with songs and wine and even a few insights linking past to present.  The part that was so challenging was that this year the Pesach yomtevs backed onto the Easter long weekend.  Just so we understand the issue…I live in a city where everything closes for Good Friday (most importantly for Pesach reasons – the supermarkets are closed).  Saturday is not a legal holiday but it’s Shabbat, I don’t shop.  Sunday is the one day when I can hope to find a supermarket open (remember that’s Easter Sunday so not everything is open for business).  Sunday night was the start of the 2nd yomtev – no shopping (again) but please notice – if I didn’t find an open supermarket on Sunday then there’s also no eating going on.  My daughter ran to a large supermarket chain on Sunday at 5 pm (the sign said it would be open until 6) just as the manager was locking the door.  She stood on the outside along with many other people and pointed out that the store was closing early.  The answer was that she should come back tomorrow (yomtev – good luck explaining that one through a locked glass door).

In the end she noticed some friends in the check out line of the supermarket and she quickly called them and read them a condensed (but essential) shopping list over the phone.  They ran around the store getting some fresh food for us and we managed.  Everything worked out alright but I have to say it caused anxious moments, lots of texting back and forth and last minute scrambling.

Between Pesach holiday occurring during the week, Easter occurring over the weekend, statutory holidays and figuring out the intervening days of Pesach, I came back to work with my head spinning and constantly thinking today was Tuesday (btw, it’s Thursday which means – yes – Shabbat is right around the corner).  Sometimes Jewish holidays can make your head spin.