It is a scene etched into Jewish historical memory: the people are celebrating – dancing madly around the statue of a golden calf to the hypnotizing cadence of drums. Many are dressed like ancient Israelites: in caftans and long head coverings, colored and bejeweled. They dance and whirl around the statue as the music reaches a frenzy, and a voice thunders from above: “Halt! It is an abomination! Oy vay! You should be ashamed! Boy are you going to get it!!”

This is the imposing figure of Moses, bearded and enraged, righteously indignant, brandishing the two tablets of the Law like weapons, although in this case the tablets are made of styrofoam. The large crowd in the village amphitheater parts, and Moses makes his way down the steep steps in the direction of the calf.

The people fall silent, shocked, chastised. With the appearance of Moses they have suddenly realized the error of their ways. It wasn’t their fault. The organizers of the party convinced them to dance and make merry. Moses, played by one of our village artists, walks silently among the throng, glowering. He approaches the golden statue and raises his staff. The staff comes down. He gives the calf such a “zbang” on its head that it won’t remember if it’s Pesach or Purim.

He does it again, and the crowd shouts out, “Good for you, Moses!” and soon the multitude joins in, hitting the statue, smashing it to smithereens, then lighting it on fire. The statue is being consumed, and with it the memory of the great sin, and once again the drums begin, a line of people forming up to dance around the burning calf.

This is the Golden Calf Festival at Ein Hod! Artists of the village have labored long and hard to sculpt the golden calf, over a meter and half in length, anatomically correct so as to leave no doubt that it is a young bull and not a cow, shiny with its skin of golden paint. Now the time come has come to destroy it, the last day of Passover, late afternoon. A procession that wound through the narrow streets of the village has finally borne the statue into the amphitheater that is now filled with hundreds of people -- members and visitors who have gathered to see the sight.

A modicum of liquid refreshment is also available -- to make the people happy in their freedom. Because Passover is the festival of freedom! Ein Hod is celebrating! It is spring and we are happy at the end of the holiday. For nearly a decade Ein Hod has enjoyed this festival – irreverent, good natured, a good way to celebrate the end of winter, the conclusion of Passover.

Of course, there have been voices raised against the festival. How could this not be? Where’s the fun without a little bit of controversy? An article in the religious press labeled the celebration a shame and a pagan rite. They questioned our Jewishness. But they don’t understand us. They don’t understand that we were celebrating the heady feeling of being free here in Ein Hod, and that we will smash the golden calf in any way that we like.