VJU celebrates Passover holiday with traditional seder meals

Jesse Small Staff Writer

Who wouldn’t want a chance to celebrate the triumphs of the past and the beauty of the future all in one holiday? On April 19-20, millions of Jews across the globe will celebrate Passover, which commemorates the ancient Jews’ release from slavery in Egypt and coincides with the beginning of spring, looking forward to the days ahead.

Passover, one of the most important holidays in the Jewish tradition, marks the occasion of the Jews’ freedom from enslavement by the pharaoh of Egypt. The Book of Exodus tells of 10 plagues that were set upon the Egyptians by God when the pharaoh refused the wishes of the Jewish prophet, Moses, to “Let [his] people go.”

Passover traditions are deeply rooted in the symbolic experience of slavery. One of these traditions is the seder.

“A seder is a ritual meal in which the group recounts the story of the exodus from Egypt, eats different symbolic foods, learns about the holiday, remembers the slavery of our ancestors and looks forward to the future,” explained Vassar Jewish Union (VJU) Religious Events Chair Amanda Strauss ’10.

One of the most important dietary aspects of the holiday is the prohibition of leavened bread. According to the Bible, the Jews did not have enough time to wait for their bread to rise before they fled and thus ate unleavened bread, or matzah, which observant Jews eat during the eight-day holiday in memory of their ancestors’ trials.

Another tradition is the search for the afikomen, a piece of matzah that is hidden during the seder for the children to find for dessert. “When it is found, the child receives a prize,” said Strauss. “Basically, the afikomen is held ransom until the finder receives proper retribution, since the end of the seder cannot commence without it.”

A seder typically lasts for at least two hours, depending on the book of prayer, the Haggadah. During the meal, the youngest person present asks four questions: “Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip foods even once, but on this night we dip them twice? Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or matzah, but on this night we eat only matzah? Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs? Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline?”

The VJU is a student organization run by a student board. It works with the Bayit, run by Rabbi Rena Blumenthal and a paid student staff, on Jewish programming such as religious events, Shabbat services, social events and social action programs. This year the VJU is making a special effort to make tis holiday one that people from all backgrounds can celebrate and learn about.

Being away from home on such a holiday can be a disconcerting for students accustomed to celebrating the holiday with their families so the VJU has organized two seders for during Passover.

The first seder will be held on Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. in the College Center Multi-Purpose Room.

The second is the Grassover Seder hosted by the VJU in collaboration with the Vassar Greens on Sunday, April 20 at 6 p.m. Typically around 40 students make their way to the seders and celebrations.
Regardless of religious affiliation, all are welcome to attend the services.