New York, Nu York: Before Pesach There Is...

By ELLEN LEVITT
This year, before Pesach arrives on our dining room tables, we have other major events that are taking up a whole lot of our New York Minutes. Each year the religious and secular calendars collide in amusing and aggravating ways. So this year, American Jews and especially New York Jews have to contend with other important things in addition to cleaning and shopping and mentally preparing for Passover.
First of all, taxation! This year our Federal and State taxes are due on Monday, April 18. This is in contrast to the more typical April 15, but this year April 15 is Emancipation Day in Washington, DC. (And residents of Massachusetts and Maine have until April 19, because April 18 is Patriots Day for them. Oy!) So many of have been putting the finishing touches on our tax forms and writing out those checks, instead of cleaning our pantries.
Then there is the New York State primary. This Tuesday, April 19, the Democrats and the Republicans in the Empire State can have their say about who should be the candidate for President in November. Dems have a choice between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton; Republicans can pick among Donald Trump, John Kasich, and Ted Cruz. Usually our primary is not so contentious, but this year there has been a big, big push to persuade the voters of my home state. So those of us who are interested and civic minded (and hope there are many of us in that frame of mind) must set aside time on Tuesday to vote. Another reason to dodge Pesach cleaning!
There are other smaller reasons to turn from the sweeping, mopping and throwing out of stuff, but those are two of the biggies for New Yorkers. But I have done some of my Pesach cleaning, and had a few icky and eye-opening sessions of this. My house has again became an incubator for these nasty brownish-gray moths, and I figured out where they are propagating-- a particular closet near the east side of the kitchen. I found a whole lot of moths there, some living, some dead, and many larvae and even cobwebs. Rather disgusting but fascinating in a nature-lover way. So I threw out various items (a small remaining bag of Bisquick flour mix, half-bags of stale pretzel sticks, seven year old boxes of pudding mix, and other once-lovely things) and wiped down the interior. It does feel good to get rid and be rid of unwanted insects, and clean for the Pesach holiday at the same time.
I admit wholeheartedly that I find Passover prep to be laborious and barely joyful. It's one of those burdens we put up with, like... paying taxes. And standing on line to vote. (Although I must never forget that the right to vote is a privilege, hard-earned). Happy holiday and pay your taxes,  folks!