Passover in London

Guess who has been getting her Jew on lately? This girl!

Last week, a few friends and I took a 45 minute tube ride out to Golders Green, an area of London known for its prominent Jewish community.

Golders Green Road

We imagined that the area would be full of traditional Jewish delis, but it actually had a huge variety of ethnic restaurants. The one thing they had in common: they all had signs out front that said they were certified as kosher.

"Kosher Indian"

Polish Delicatessan

Jewish...store?

Certified by the Kashrut Committee!

The smell of bread in the oven drew us into a few bakeries.

2 pounds and 25 pence for a large challah

The sprinkle cookies caught my eye, reminding me of the ones I see in Pincus Bakery when I visit my Grandma Vera in Cleveland. However, I figured they couldn't compare to those ones, so I decided to try a chocolate rugelach instead. The guy behind the counter gave me a funny look when I said I only wanted one piece. Just a little pre-dinner nosh! 

The four of us went to Dizengoff for dinner since it was recommended to us both by online sources and the guy-confused-by-my-single-rugelach-purchase from the deli. It was a cute establishment, with an older, middle eastern couple running it. The menu item "Hummus with falafel" sounded vague--does it come with a pita?--so I asked the man what that meal entailed. He gruffly replied, "You know. Hummus. With falafel." Ah yes, now I understand, thank you waiter.

Afterwards we stopped in a grocery store to stock up on some Passover goods. The supermarket near my dorm has matzoh, but it is labeled as "Not Kosher for Passover." Am I the only one who finds that odd? Who are these people who are buying matzoh but not observing Passover?

I was pretty bummed about missing out on doing seder at home with my family. Fortunately, I was able to attend two wonderful seders here in London!

For the first night, I went to my step uncle's apartment in Notting Hill. Arthur and Annette hosted a beautiful seder at their flat for about a dozen people. I met people from England, France, Israel, and other countries. There were a few children there as well, and it was neat to hear the four questions being read with an English accent.

Seder at Arthur and Annette's flat

Arthur's seder plate

Because you can find family almost anywhere!

Arthur leading the seder

For the second night, the Chabad of South Kensington hosted a seder at Imperial College's dining hall. I attended with a bunch of my friends on the program. Of course, the food didn't even come close to the deliciousness of my seders at home, but it was fun to be with other college students. Since the meal ended at 11 PM and we had finals coming up, we left right after dinner.

So far, I've been really good about avoiding bread products, even when enjoying a picnic in Hyde Park! Most of my friends here are actually Jewish, so we packed up some matzoh and had a study break in the sunshine.

Hyde Park picnic

It's 75 degrees in London!

Matzoh crackers with cheese!

Now it's time for bed because I have finals tomorrow. I can't believe tomorrow is my last day as a college junior! Happy Passover everyone!

Side note: I know what you're all thinking. "But Jenny, weren't you attempting to try all the flavors at Ben's cookies before you left London? How will you finish now that you can't eat bread products??" Well, rest easy, because I officially completed my Ben's Cookies Challenge two days before the first night of seder! TADA! I'm so proud of myself :) The white chocolate and cranberry cookie is still my favorite. I certainly won't be craving cookies again for a while though...