Universal Liberation or Universal Cleaning?

Passover is rapidly approaching. Next Monday, across the world Jews of all denominations and traditions will sit down to festive seder meals. In only one country, however, is Passover cleaning a universal activity. Yes, there are plenty of secular Israelis who do not take their toothbrushes to the grout between their kitchen tiles. Cleaning products are flying out of the supermarkets. New sets of dishes are available on street corners, and huge vats for kashering cookware and flatware are not difficult to locate. The smell of strong cleaning chemicals is unmistakable. In some cases, soap suds run out of open kitchen doors and into the street.

So just as we all celebrate liberation during Pesach, Israel first celebrates a universally unique brand of cleaning.