Arctic seder begins Iqaluit family's Passover
Lorne and Sheila Levy held a seder in Iqaluit Monday night, the traditional dinner that rings in the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Unleavened bread — or matzo — is a staple of meals during Passover, but when the nearest kosher food vendor is about 2,000 kilometres away, Lorne Levy has to improvise.
"Ironically it's perfect because there is that idea with the unleavened bread, the matzo, you have to be creative and use what works," he said.
The eight-day holiday commemorates the biblical story of the ancient Hebrews' exodus from Egypt.
The Levys have held a seder in communities all over Nunavut, since first arriving in Pangnirtung more than three decades ago.
"It was sort of special to know that people all around the world were doing the same thing on the same night that we were doing it in Pangnirtung or Gjoa Haven or Iqaluit," Sheila Levy says.
The Levys stock up on kosher goods during frequent trips to Ottawa, but they can't get their hands on everything.
Lorne says he doesn't mind because the spirit of the holiday is what counts.
"We saw it as hey, anything goes," he said. "And if anybody asked 'Is that how it's done?' we could say 'Well do you know any better? Then yes! This is exactly what happens.'"
Passover ends next Tuesday at sundown.
