Preparing for Passover in Hawaii has gotten easier in the past few years, but it is still not completely convenient.
Most of the neighborhood Safeways have matzah and matzah meal. They bring it out for every Jewish holiday, thinking that we eat it all year round.
Now that I am a “Military Wife,” I have access to the commissary which dutifully puts out a table of items a few weeks before Passover, but it wasn’t as robust this year as the last few.
Whole Foods in Kahala (about 25 miles from my house and a good hour drive if there is traffic) had a good selection of macaroons and gluten free Passover items.
Only the Kapahulu Safeway had gefilte fish. My husband loves gefilte fish. I made the drive.
When I was at the commissary yesterday I asked for fresh horseradish and was told they only have the Chinese kind. I figured that would do for a bitter herb. I had no idea that Chinese horseradish was so big. I had to take a photo. Even my husband laughed.
While surfing the web, my younger daughter noticed that Party City has ready made plague bags, a new tradition at our seder ever since my oldest sister started sending them to my kids. We went to the Waikele Party City to check them out. When I asked the clerk where their Passover items are, she looked at me and said, “What’s Passover?” So much for buying plague bags there. We will make our own.
Despite the obstacles, we are ready. We will celebrate with the community tonight at the Aloha Jewish Chapel seder at the Hale Koa Hotel, organized by our good friends Val Hashimoto and Dan Bender.
And thank goodness for Good Friday. In Hawaii it is a State holiday. Since the kids won’t have school and my husband doesn’t have to work, we will have our own seder at home with a few friends. All of the items I have hunted and gathered from across the island will come together on our table as we celebrate our freedom and remember our journey together.
A Zeisen Pesach to all.
Being Jewish in Hawaii 
Apr 20, 2011 @ 02:36:37
That’s one big horseradish! I always get the kind in the little jar. Shopping for Passover foods in Hawaii is always interesting. I’ll never forget the display Safeway set up one year. They had a large sign that read, PASSOVER FOODS. They’d set a lovely table, complete with a white tablecloth. And on the table, in the center of all the kosher foods, was a giant ham.