By Zalu Drucker
The Land of Israel in the early 1940s. World War II was raging in Europe, and many young people in the country had enlisted in the British army. The media wasn’t as developed as it is today - there was no television or internet, only radio, which was under the control of the British Mandate government.
In our village, Ein Vered, the farmers were busy and preoccupied with the labor of daily survival. Children attended kindergarten and school in Tel Mond, and the community longed for unity and collective joy. This desire gave birth to the idea of celebrating holidays together, as one village.
I remember the communal Passover Seders held at the community hall, Beit Ha’am. In those days, there wasn’t a proper hall like today, and there were no chairs. Instead, there was one large stage on the second floor - closed on three sides and open to the north.
The preparations leading up to the Seder night were intense and filled with excitement, felt throughout the village. Next to the dairy, a large cauldron full of water was placed on a tripod of iron bars, with a fire burning underneath. Beside it stood a tall pile of wood to keep the fire going. We, the children, gathered with empty milk jugs to kasher them in the boiling water, and some brought pots from home as well. Grandpa Ya’ar-Adami oversaw the process of kashering the utensils, with the elder Archi supervising him.
Some of the parents - those who were carpenters by trade - built tables and long benches from wooden planks supported by crates. The mothers and daughters decorated the tables with white cloths and flowers picked from the fields. On the tables, they set out light refreshments and matzot, all strictly kosher for Passover.
On the east side of the hall stood a long table for the members who led the Seder, and nearby was a space for the children who performed with flutes and mandolins. Most of the children were learning music in local workshops or at school. The conductor of the small orchestra was Adam Rappas, the son of Dr. Rappas, the village physician.
The community gathered in the hall after each family had celebrated the traditional Seder at home. Everyone sat wherever they liked, and we children huddled together at the far end of the hall. The holiday program was light and playful - there was music and singing, readings from the Haggadah, humor, and riddles. Each host brought something special from their imagination and talent. Among the holiday hosts were Ben Efraim, Ze’ev Cohen, and others.
Humor was essential during such difficult times. Everyone laughed - even those who were usually serious. We loved those holidays, and the good memories of them have stayed with us to this day.
From: Bilha Nachman, 2000, Stories of Ein Vered – Seventy Years of the Village, 1930–2000, published by Moshav Ein Vered.