Karaite Korner Newsletter #328

Chag Ha-Matzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread)

Chag Ha-Matzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, will begin this coming
Monday night, April 21, 2008. The Karaite Korner website has several
studies on this holiday as well as a traditional Karaite recipe for
baking matzah (unleavened bread). This year we tried two variations on
the recipe which produced excellent results. The first was to use
freshly squeezed orange juice instead of water which gave the matzah a
sweat and tangy flavor. The second variation (suggested by Devorah
Gordon) was to add fried onions to the dough which gave the matzah a
delicious taste.

The Karaite Korner page on Chag HaMatzot contains an explanation of
the timing of the Passover sacrifice which according to all Jewish
opinions is at the end of the 14th day of the First Biblical Month. As
a result, Jews observe the memorial of this ancient sacrifice at the
end of the 14th day and the evening that begins the 15th day of the
first lunar month. This year, that falls out on the late afternoon and
early evening of April 21, 2008 (based on new moon visibility in Israel).

Another issue discussed on the Karaite Korner site is the biblical
definition of chametz or leaven. For more information (including the
matzah recipe) please see:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/passover.shtml

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel