Another blistering day: time for the matzah brei

On another sizzling morning, we went for our daily early morning swim and, on arriving back, were told by our Liverpudlian neighbours that it was the hottest Pesach in Israel since the 50s!

Which is no doubt why we elected to have matzah brei, to use up two cracked eggs and the cinnamon we had bought in masses before the festival.

Matzah brei is made of eggs, water or milk, oil, sugar and cinnamon and ressembles a pancake or latke. It is of Ashkenazi origin and would certainly suit colder climes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah_brei.

But it was delicious and will no doubt fortify us on our blistering train journey to Tel Aviv at noon.

Brei comes from the German, meaning paste, or pulp (as in 'beaten to a ....'). I wonder if it is therefore supposed to symbolise mortar, like the charoset eaten at the Seder, and also the slaves in Egypt.

Just a thought!

It's just two weeks until Israel's 60th and the flags and bunting are out in full in Haifa - in contrast with this reaction to yesterday's St. George's Day in Bradford:

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2008/04/st-georges-day-cancelled.html

In many ways England and Israel are miles apart: physically, emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, spiritually.

A pity really, because they could really learn from each other.