Strawberry Shortcake

I love the way traditions get started and work their way into people’s religious ceremonies. Truth is I do enjoy ‘minhag’. Certainly this has kept our people alive and helped us maintain our identity. Still, not only can it be exhausting but if someone wants to change things up a little, it can be quite difficult, if not impossible.

My Mother-in-law’s birthday falls during Passover this year. For her, this is nothing new as they two frequently coincide. Growing up, her mother always made her a Kosher-for-Passover Strawberry Shortcake for the Seder to celebrate her birthday.

It so happens my niece (my Mother-in-law’s granddaughter) also has a birthday that falls around Passover. My wife found a recipe for a chocolate chip cake. She wanted to make that for the birthdays’. She was actually excited about trying a new recipe. (I too like new recipes but usually like to try them on myself first before making them for other people).

Guess what? When my wife told her mom about the recipe, her Mom asked (perhaps whined is a better word) for a Strawberry Shortcake? You know what that means? My wife is no longer making the chocolate chip cake for the birthdays, she is making a Strawberry Shortcake.

In the words of Tevye, “Tradition! Without it where would our people be?”