Many Samaritans moved in the early 20th century to Holon, near the coast, to get jobs at Jaffa, then a major seaport. But all gather at Gerizim each Passover for an evocative ceremony dominated by the slaughter of sheep, whose entrails are burned as part of the offering to God, and the rest roasted and eaten. The sacrifice is held in a revamped altar area, with new grandstands paid for by the Palestinian Authority. Except for a few gaudily dressed high priests, the men and boys wear white. Some are in robes, some in overalls.
Some youths wear baseball caps, jauntily reversed.
The rest sing and chant as they cut sheep throats. Each man marks his forehead with blood. Women sit on the sidelines, although they join in the feast. Of course, troubles are far from over for the Samaritans. The current Palestinian uprising has revived a sense of insecurity.