בלומבערג האט ליב שארפע חריין

Mayor to sis: Get stronger Passover horseradish

BY CHUCK BENNETT
STAFF WRITER

April 4, 2006

Mayor Bloomberg is a little bitter over his sister's horseradish selection for Passover.

At a news briefing Monday on police security for the upcoming holiday, Bloomberg, who is Jewish, said he plans to celebrate Passover with his sister and mother. The mayor, however, says he doesn't care for his younger sister's taste in horseradish, or bitter herbs, which is ceremonially eaten at the seder, the meal commemorating the Hebrew people's liberation from enslavement in Egypt.

"I can report that when she does [the seder] the food is reasonably good. My criticism has always been that the horseradish is not strong enough," he told reporters.

"Maybe if she reads that in the brilliant article that I'm sure you will write about this, that may influence where she gets the horseradish," the mayor quipped.

During the traditional Passover seder, Jews eat horseradish to symbolize the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. Passover begins this year on April 12.

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.