Post-Passover, many make time for Mimouna
Bid farewell to a diet of matzah the Moroccan way, with floury crepes, beers, bbqs and live music
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Looking for a Mimouna to officially mark the end of Passover and matzah?
We’ve got a list for you.
The traditional North African celebration held on the night and the day after Passover — this year, Monday night and Tuesday — includes lots of leavened treats, such as stacks of mufleta, a crepe made of flour and water and filled with honey or jam, and often a side of grilled meat, because no party is complete without a barbecue, right?
There are many Mimouna celebrations held throughout the country, from the hundreds of small ones arrayed around the lawn of Jerusalem’s Sacher Park, which together draw about 100,000 people, to those in private homes, restaurants, bars and community centers.
At a Mimouna celebration, the more the merrier and strangers are welcome. For real. But if you’re looking for an event that’s won’t require walking into a stranger’s living room, we’ve found more a few that are open to the public.
You can also head to the beach for another Mimouna tradition, in which families splash water on their faces and walk barefoot in the water, replaying the miracle of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, which historically took place on the last day of Passover.
1. Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood is sponsoring its own Mimouna on Tuesday, with a drum circle, costumes, live music and sweet mufleta served from 4:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. Entry is free for the event at 42 Ohel Moshe, Nachlaot.
2. HaMiffal, one of Jerusalem’s alternative art spaces, is hosting a Mimouna celebration on Tuesday, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., with the musicians of HaSha’abim on hand, led by Maurice El Medioni of the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra, to start the party with the tunes of Jewish Morocco. Rehov Hamaaravim, behind the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
3. Try Mimouna at Pasáž, the funky underground bar at 94 Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, where the female DJs of Udrub will provide the background beat for the evening’s entertainment. Monday, 8:30 p.m.
4. Back in Jerusalem, there’s J’Mimouna at Beit Alliance, with Moroccan food, beers and BYOI — bring your own instruments. But it’s just for students and twenty-year-olds, so be warned. Tuesday night, 8:30 p.m., 5 Kiah Street. Ditto for the crowd at Jerusalem’s Abraham Hostel, also celebrating Mimouna, but on Monday night, with music and mufleta.
5. Another community Mimouna celebration will take place at Jerusalem’s Monster Park on Monday, 8 p.m., with beers and traditional sweets.
6. Try the daytime celebration in the Beersheba Elephant Park, on Tuesday, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., where the invite tells everyone to bring their own meat to throw on the grill. Ditto for the beers.
7. Don’t feel like going anywhere? Happy to see your regular dishes again? Make your own mufleta at home using one of the many recipes online, including this one from food blogger Liz Steinberg.
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