Passover in Toronto

I miss Windsor. I miss being with my wife and son, and seeing my grandchildren on a regular basis. If it wasn't for the fact that I get very sleepy driving through boring terrain (how many of you know how FLAT and straight the road is from Toronto to Windsor), I would travel to Windsor every weekend (it's only a 3.5 hour drive, one way). But every time I drive there (and back), I take my life into my hands. Last weekend, the drive back took six hours (including the nap I had to take along the way).

Anyway, this post is about Passover in Toronto. For those that don't know, Toronto is the hub of Jewish life in Canada. Next to New York, it is the most densely populated Jewish region outside of Israel. From the perspective of Passover, it means that grocery stores are well-stocked with Passover food. The quantity and variety are like nothing I have ever experienced. I am not an overly observant Jew. When being strictly Jewish becomes inconvenient (for example, if I have to go to Detroit or Toronto to buy kosher food), I cut corners. And when Easter and Passover exactly coincide (like they do this year), it's extremely inconvenient, seeing that my wife and her family celebrate Easter.

Well, in Toronto, there's no need to cut corners or be concerned with how my immediate family will cope with my inability to participate in the Easter meal. So, this year's Passover observance has been helped by an abundance of readily available food that I actually don't mind eating. And having observant family in the immediate vicinity doesn't hurt either. Last year in Windsor, my "treat of the season" was being invited to lunch at my sister's home. This year, I was invited to the home of my other sister, here in Toronto. She and I share a love of food (which would be obvious to anyone who took a look at our waistlines), and she prepared an absolutely marvelous "first Seder". So bountiful was the meal that "my portion" of the leftovers have already fueled the second and third nights, and I've still got enough for tonight. And on Tuesday night, I've been invited to Naomi's house (my neice) for dinner.

Next year, I hope to be back in Windsor for Passover, but this year, I'm glad I'm here.