"I wish I was, too," exclaimed Benjamin, who had sat listening quietly
whilst the letter was being read. On the faces of several of the elder
people there was a far-away look and sometimes a smile, for the scenes
described in the letter brought back memories of their own childhood
when the holidays and the preparations for them were similar to those in
Palestine.

HOW TO ENJOY THE PASSOVER IN LONDON

One of the boy-listeners said: "I see now why some of us in London do
not enjoy the holidays. It is due to our surroundings. Many of us here
have to work or go to business whether it is a holiday or not, and so we
do not enjoy them in the same spirit as the boys and girls in Palestine,
where they are freer to carry out the teaching of our religion."

"Well!" said Benjamin; "there's one thing at least I can do, and that is
to help my mother to prepare for the Passover in my spare time."

"And I, too," and "I, too," exclaimed others.

"Bravo, boys!" said Mr Jacob. "Even if you do not enjoy it so much
physically, you will do so spiritually, for anyone who tries to help his
mother to keep up our fine old customs will be blessed."

LAG B'OMER

It was a week before Lag B'Omer, and the friends of the Jacobs family
continued to attend every Friday evening to hear a letter from Jerusalem
read. There was only one drawback to these Friday re-unions, and that
was that every week the little cellar-kitchen sitting-room got more and
more crowded, for each friend became so interested that he brought
another with him without asking permission. However, as no one
complained, Mr and Mrs Jacobs said nothing, and were indeed thankful
that so many were interested in those old letters; and Mr Jacobs at once
started reading as follows:--

"DEAR MILLIE,--I want to tell you how we spent Lag B'Omer here, for in
London we used not to make much of a holy day of it. Here days are taken
in preparing for it, baking cakes and preparing tasty meals. Both old
and young spend that day in visits to the graves of our great Rabbis and
in picnics on the Mount of Olives or in the cool shade of the many caves
in the neighbourhood. Those who have large families have their hands
full, for the walks in the open air give the children huge appetites;
and, unless you are prepared for such appetites it is difficult to
supply all that is needed, for you cannot buy extra food, as in England,
except perhaps a few nuts and a drink of water.

"Before dawn