Picture this: It is the night of the first Passover Seder. The table is set. The candles are burning brightly. Everything sparkles. The children and guests are seated around the table. A sweet voice of a child recites the Four Questions. Serenity and joy are palpable in the warmth of the Passover atmosphere.
Now contrast those mental images with this: It is the night of the first Passover seder. There is no table and no candles are burning brightly. Nothing sparkles. There are no children and guests. No sweet voice of a child recites the Four Questions. There is no serenity and there is no joy because there is no Passover atmosphere. Sarah is alone in her dorm room feeling lonely and sad.
Passover has always meant family. The little cousins crunching on Matzah at one end of the table, sisters sipping on wine, and everyone singing the same tunes your Grandparents sang and theirs before them. Throughout the ages, if there is one time in the year a Jewish family sits together, it's for the Passover seder.
It’s clear however that this year's seder will be different from all other seders, as due to COVID-19 many won't be able to return home to their families for Passover. Some states require incoming travelers to quarantine, some students have relatives back home with health challenges, and some have roommates who won't let them back on campus if they make the trip home.
As a response to this time of crisis, the KU Chabad center launched a Passover campaign like never before, with the goal of ensuring that every single student has a joyous Passover holiday. In the weeks leading up to the festival of freedom a special text line has been set up where students can text the word “Passover” to 785.264.4477 and all their holiday needs will be met.
More information can also be found online at www.HawkSeder.com.
For those who are able to join in person, Chabad will be hosting a huge outdoor public seder, where participants will bask in the warmth and festivity of a covid-safe event, enjoying fine wine, hand made Shmurah Matzah, a brisket dinner and the incredible Seder at Chabad energy. These public seder’s will be taking place during both nights of Passover, ensuring that all have a space to join and feel welcome.
“I recall how last year I was so concerned about having my first Passover away from home,” said Mitch Levine, a junior at KU. “Turns out that I never left my home, as it felt just like home at Chabad’s Seder… The singing, the jokes, the energy, and all the traditions were present. I left the seder feeling very uplifted and part of the family.”
Chabad will also be hosting numerous seder’s across campus at various Greek houses and dorms, ensuring that each pod is able to celebrate safely. An exciting component of these “Seders Across KU” is the preholiday webinar where student leaders will be receiving training on how to lead a seder on their own for their immediate pod. For those students who will be in quarantine, Chabad will be offering “Seder-to-Go” kits with everything needed to run a Seder from A to Z (or from Alef to Taf).
In addition to the seders, as a special service to the KU Jewish community, Chabad will be offering a complete week-long Kosher for Passover meal plan. No more surviving on macaroons and Matzah, as students will be able to enjoy wholesome kosher meals as they observe the holiday. Students or their parents can sign up either via the text line (text “Meal Plan” to 785.264.4477) or at www.KUPassoverMeals.com
“Often when I ask a student to share a meaningful Jewish experience from their childhood, they respond ‘being with my family on Passover.’ For many, this is the strongest feeling they have towards our faith, while for some it's their only connection,” said Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, co-director of KU Chabad. “This year we want to ensure that the pandemic will not take it away from them. Especially with all the confusion and lack of social contact during the past year, their need for connection of any kind is so much greater. The students feel lonely, they need love and connection and we are so delighted they will get to experience that this holiday.”
Thanks to a generous sponsor, Chabad is also distributing over 250 boxes of matzah for KU students, to enable them to have the true Passover experience even while away from home. During the weeklong holiday, various events will be taking place around town to celebrate the holiday. At the dorms there will be a matzah pizza party and at Wescoe beach on campus a “macaroon fiesta” will be held for all to partake in holiday goodies of various flavors.
Chabad at KU extends its appreciation to the many donors from our local Kansas City Jewish community who are partnering with Chabad to bring the joys of Passover to our future Jewish leaders of tomorrow, and a special thanks to the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City for their support of the KU holiday programs. For more information about Chabad’s many programs, contact Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel at 785.832.8672 or at .
