Bold Kiryat Shmona bakers brave Hezbollah belligerence, keep matzo ovens hot

Yaakov Buchris, 70, and his friends return to the abandoned northern city to bake matzo, a tradition they have upheld for 4 decades; this time, they made sure to stay near a shelter
For 39 years, Yaakov Buchris, 70, and his friends from the northern city of Kiryat Shmona and surrounding kibbutzim have been gathering together to prepare special matzo for the Seder.
For the second time since he was evacuated from his home with his family after the October 7 Hamas attack, Buchris returned to Kiryat Shmona last Thursday, fired up the old gas stove and met again with his old pals to carry on the tradition. "We couldn't bear the thought of not coming home to our city to make matzo," Buchris told Ynet.
3 View gallery
אופים מצות בקריית שמונה
אופים מצות בקריית שמונה
Yaakov Buchris baking matzo in Kiryat Shmona
(Photo: Avihu Shapira)
Buchris says that his matzo has a special flavor that cannot be replicated without the mineral water flowing in the local taps and the air of the Galilee mountains.
"Passover is the holiday of liberty and we wish for liberty, that we may return to our beloved city," he said in a prayer. "It is a painful and uneasy feeling, arriving here and seeing the city completely empty. We will not return here until the war ends and it is safe here."
3 View gallery
יעקב בוכריס ליד התנור
יעקב בוכריס ליד התנור
The matzo is out of the oven
(Photo: Avihu Shapira)
3 View gallery
חלק מהמצות שאפו בוכריס וחבריו
חלק מהמצות שאפו בוכריס וחבריו
Yaakov Buchris has plenty of matzo to go around
(Photo: Avihu Shapira)
The kashrut laws require that matzo be made within 18 minutes from kneading to baking. Alongside these halachic guidelines, this year's matzo bakers on the Lebanese border also adhered to equally stringent rules.
"We made sure to work here in complete safety. Adjacent to the hall there is a shelter and in case of an alarm, we would all immediately stop working, even if we would need to miss out on the time to bake the dough, and run to the shelter. Thank God, Hezbollah did not interfere with us even once."
<< Follow Ynetnews on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok >>
Comments
The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.
""