By Lance Vaillancourt, Colorado Daily
BOULDER, Colo. — Carrying on a tradition that began more than 3,300 years ago, the Jewish pilgrimage holiday of Passover begins Wednesday evening at sundown.
For hundreds of students living on and off-campus at the University of Colorado, they are simply too far from home to observe the holiday with family in the middle of the school week.
For these students, both the Chabad House and the Hillel House — student-oriented Jewish culture and religious centers — have opened their doors to provide kosher meals and Seder services, or Passover ceremonies, for students unable to observe the holiday at home.
“Passover is regarded as a holiday of freedom, marking the night when 2 million Jews escaped from Egypt after the miracle of the 10 plagues,” said Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, who runs the Chabad House at CU.
“Even though we celebrate Passover each year on its anniversary, in Judaism we mention it a few times a day in prayers and it has become a metaphor for personal freedom,” Wilhelm said.
Because Passover is one of the few Jewish holidays in which customary observance takes place solely in the home — as opposed to a synagogue or other public venue — it is typically regarded as one of the most sacred and family-oriented holidays in Judaism.
“It’s a really big deal for both religious and cultural reasons,” said senior Joel Pratt, student president of Hillel at CU. “Usually, first-night Seder is what most Jewish people celebrate — even those that don’t consider themselves very religious.”
Outside Israel, Seders are held on the first two nights of Passover, usually only in Orthodox or Conservative communities. According to Pratt, people at the Hillel House have been working since Tuesday to prepare for as many as 100 students to attend first-night Seder — a customary meal including unleavened bread, brisket, bitter herbs, four glasses of wine or grape juice, and periodic readings of excerpts from the Torah.
Rabbi Wilhelm said the Chabad House is expecting upwards of 200 people to attend Seder on Wednesday evening, citing it as one of the best-attended events of the year.
“It’s really weird not being able get together with my family and friends for Passover this year,” said freshman Courtney Levin. “But I’ll be going to Chabad for Seder services instead, and I’m still really excited for the new experience.”
Lasting eight days in total, those who fully observe Passover will also hold themselves to a strict diet of kosher meals throughout, which has prompted the Chabad and Hillel houses to prepare enough food to last into next week.
“Over the next eight days, this might be one of the only places students will want to come to eat,” said Wilhelm, who estimated that the Chabad house will serve as many as 1,000 meals to students by the holiday’s end.
The free meals are funded by university parents and alumni who want students to be able to observe Passover under any circumstances.
“We go out of our way not to charge them and try to make it as close to home as possible,” Wilhelm said. “We know that they are away from their families, and we really want to create an opportunity to celebrate.”
