Social media: a survivor’s guide to Pesach

TALI FEINBERG

“This is definitely about the power of community. It’s all about pooling resources, and it makes a big difference. What we did before chat groups, I don’t know!” says Lynne Lewis. She is part of a chat group on the platform “Telegram”, where Jewish people share tips, products, pricing, and specials ahead of Pesach.

“The advantage of Telegram is that it has a significantly higher limit on the number of people who can join the group [than WhatsApp], and even if you join it late, you still have access to everything that was said before you joined. Both of these aspects are limited on WhatsApp,” she says. There are about 140 members on the Telegram group she belongs to.

The founder of the group, Tehilla Ozeri, agrees that Telegram is extremely useful. “It has better security and allows admins to go in and delete posts. We don’t allow naming and shaming. We also have suppliers on the group who offer real-time information. They can tell the group if they are ordering more of something, and so on. There is also other information – everything from how to boil dishes to Pesach markets.”

According to Ozeri, “Pesach is a shock for everybody every year – it’s just one of those things. So I hope this helps people. We don’t allow Halachic queries, and we are not replacing the kosher department! It’s just a service.”

Lewis sees chat groups like these as a highly useful forum. “If someone is looking for a specific product, they can ask if anyone has seen it. We share lists of food prices, or even take photos of the shelves. Stores often have exclusive ranges of Pesach products, so there is the element of sharing those as well. We share prices, but to avoid loshen hora (evil tongue) we shouldn’t say ‘this is cheaper/more expensive’. People can draw their own conclusions.”

Lewis says the group is also useful for sharing and understanding ingredients. Some people don’t eat certain things on Pesach because of their minhag (family tradition) – for example sunflower oil or peanut butter. So, if there is a certain margarine on the shelves, group members can ask what oil is in it. Then, some eat certain certain kitiniyot (grains) and some don’t, so it’s important to share those details. In addition, not everyone reads Hebrew, so with imported products from Israel, members can help decipher the hechsher (kosher stamp).”

In addition, Lewis says that the group includes suppliers like Jonty Kantor at Pick n Pay Hypermarket Norwood in the capacity of customer liaison. “He is on the floor, and whenever new stock comes in, he posts on the group. Anyone can also message him directly. This is the power of technology!”

Lewis believes these groups are helpful in combating the financial stress of Pesach, because not only do they provide the best prices, they give people the ability to spread out costs up to three months in advance. However, she says people often get carried away with buying expensive Pesach products like cake mixes or sauces.

“You need to assess realistically what you are buying to use for Pesach. Often it is also about stocking up for the rest of the year. For example, Chalav Yisrael Lancewood cheese is available only at Pesach, so if you buy it now for the rest of the year, it can add up to a lot. But it’s not a Pesach cost – it’s a cost you lay out at Pesach.

“Creativity goes a long way in keeping things simple and financially manageable,” she advises. Instead of spending time running around the shops to find something that costs an arm and a leg, you can often make something similar at home, such as mayonnaise, chutney, or pasta sauce. With the internet, there are hundreds of recipes out there, and the world is your oyster.”

About five years ago, Lindy Fohrman started a WhatsApp group called Pesach Preparation. What began as a tiny group now has 300 members, and it is basically a free course in getting ready for the chag.

“A few years ago, I was in the car the whole time before Pesach, and I felt so fragmented! On Erev Pesach I thought, there has to be a way to make this easier.” So the next year, Fohrman started preparing for Pesach in January, sharing her advice with the group.

Every week, she posts simple tips for people to follow. “We begin with buying non-perishables, and we start slowly. Every week, we look at buying disposables, looking at what you have left over from last year, and we begin the cleaning six weeks before. We do the change over a week before, and start the cooking early.” The group also includes links to recipes and price lists.

Fohrman says this really is a labour of love, and it’s all about helping each other. “So much falls on the woman, and often she arrives at the seder a wreck! And she still has to serve people with a happy face. By preparing early and slowly, she can arrive at the seder happy and relaxed, and actually enjoy it. It’s all about bringing calm and shalom (peace) into the home. We also have to remember that she has been dealing with the first term and Purim – it’s a lot to handle.”

Fohrman says that there are challenges to running such a group, which is why she uses the WhatsApp setting of allowing only the admin to post. “Before that, it was incredibly overwhelming, and I was always telling people what they could and couldn’t post – for example, asking for a baking recipe at midnight!”

She says that a huge advantage of the group is spreading out the costs of Pesach over three months. “Pesach is expensive, so we encourage people to store things – double wrap and freeze. They are encouraged to write things down, and buy for next year. It’s about adding onto your weekly shop so that when you get to Pesach, you don’t have a hefty bill.”

Fohrman says that anyone is welcome to join the group, even just before Pesach, and they can stay on. She even has people from Israel, the United Kingdom and Australia on the group. “It’s the power of community and technology coming together. It’s really bridged the gaps, and brought us closer. It’s a support service, and about making it easier for the women, which is truly liberating!”

She says people think she has Pesach preparation down to a T, but “I am only human, I also find myself rushing around at the last minute sometimes! But it’s a real honour and brocha to be able to help people. It’s a way of saying, ‘Let me help you out, let’s do this together.’”