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The Matzo Cover That Made ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’ More Than a Mantra

JL;DR SUMMARY Aviad Hacohen recounts the remarkable journey of a matzo cover that symbolizes Jewish perseverance and the aspiration for freedom. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

JerusalemPassoverSoviet UnionHebrew LanguageAliyahPerseveranceFreedomRefuseniksMatzo CoverYoel Edelstein

Places mentioned

Jerusalem, Israel
"This cover made its way from Jerusalem to Moscow and back again in the days before the collapse of the Soviet Union."
Moscow, Russian Federation
"This cover made its way from Jerusalem to Moscow and back again in the days before the collapse of the Soviet Union."
Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel
"He was sitting as a guest of honor in the first row at my wedding on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, facing the Temple Mount."

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Cairo Item ID 76517
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Retrieved 2026-03-01 05:33:23 UTC
Curated 2026-03-01 08:30:57 UTC