By Dudel Dushinksy
Assistant Editor
Purim is here, but Passover is right around the corner. As we all know, eggs are central to every Seder meal. But with a national egg shortage and alarmingly high prices, Jewish families are needing to get creative.
“I’m just worried. The egg really ties everything together,” says Basha Bluvshtein.
One local family has purchased a few chicks, hoping they will produce enough eggs for their 73-person, 233-egg Seder. “We have rigged up elaborate space heaters in the garage to keep our chicks — Susie, Shelly, Deborah, Becky and Nancy — warm.”
Another family has resorted to purchasing a combination of geese, duck, and turkey eggs. “Turkey eggs are more expensive, but luckily they are larger. Each egg will have to be split evenly by two, maybe three people,” said local Jewish grandmother, Fruma Fur. “I don’t like the look of it, but it’s our only option.”
One inventive father, Evron Adleman, plans to “send little Adi to the local park to catch a few geese.” Fitted with a net, handcuffs and a loaf of bread, he expects Adi to outperform the other boys. “I have high hopes for Adi. He shows promise.” If Adi comes up short, Evron plans to take out a second mortgage on the home to secure enough eggs for the Seder meal. “Happy wife, happy life,” Evron grins.
Even more complicated is getting local rabbis to visit homes to ensure these irregular eggs are kosher. “We’ve created a task force to organize the certification process,” said Gittel Halper.
Worse yet, many bubbes are shuddering at the thought of “eggless” sponge cakes. One bubbe laments, “My daughter-in-law recommended I try something different. Change a recipe that is over 350 years old? Is she nuts?”
Whatever the case, local Jewish families are sure to overcome. “We’re resilient, we’ll make it through,” Motke Cohn reassures me.