The tables were set, KU Hillel was cleared of chametz, and extra chairs were brought out from storage. Passover had arrived at Hillel.
Students were welcomed to the annual First-Night Seder on Friday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. Each year, Hillel’s Seder provides many students with the opportunity to observe the holiday.
KU Hillel staff aimed to provide students with an experience similar to that of a family Seder and served many kosher-for-Passover dishes family-style.
For many KU Hillel students, home is elsewhere in the country. By providing Passover experiences all week long, students can observe the holiday in ways that are meaningful to them, whether home is in Overland Park or Los Angeles, said KU Hillel Executive Director Suzy Sostrin.
“Most of all, we are so happy to have the opportunity to gather our students,” Sostrin said. “For the week following our Seder, we have events, kosher-for-Passover meals, and finally, a chametz party to conclude. These events are completely free for students, thanks to our generous supporters.”
This will be the first fully in-person seder at KU Hillel in three years due to COVID-19. Students and staff were excited about the opportunity to have it in Hillel’s space, away from a Zoom screen.
For Sammi Grofsky, a KU sophomore from California, it is not easy to head home for Passover. The holiday is one of her favorites, and she is happy to have it at Hillel.
“I’m so excited to get to spend it with my Hillel family,” Grofsky said. “Hillel is offering so many great ways to celebrate Passover throughout the week, including [the] Seder, and I’m grateful that they will help me keep Passover while at school.”
To ensure students’ safety amid a continuing pandemic, KU Hillel staff is also leaving all doors and windows open and utilizing air purifiers. They also encouraged taking a COVID-19 test prior to the Seder.
“Hillel has taken great precautions to help me feel safe throughout the pandemic, and Hillel’s doors are not just open figuratively — that extra airflow helps, too,” Demi Fine, a sophomore, said. “It’s been so nice to have somewhere to feel somewhat normal during a time that’s been anything but.”
While the Seder is the highlight of Passover for many, KU Hillel staff are also offering Passover-related programming throughout the week. The Hillel team hopes the variety of programming allows students to experience Passover as much as feels comfortable to each student.
On Tuesday, KU Hillel staff cooked traditional Ashkenazi Passover dishes with students, helping them learn how to cook cultural meals to eat during the chametz-less holiday.
During the rest of the semester, students regularly learn about Jewish food culture through Jewish Flavors, a weekly class. The Passover cooking class is open to all students — especially those who want to eat more than matzah sandwiches all week.
“Jewish Flavors means exploring new foods that have to do with our religion,” Dawson Miller, a senior, said. “Learning all of these new [recipes] means I will know how to make it in my own kitchen.”
Tuesday’s program also supported KU Hillel’s mission of developing the next generation of Jewish leaders.
KU Hillel empowers students to host their own Seders throughout the week, and through informal Jewish learning, students become more confident in leading Jewish lives, Sostrin said.
“We proudly connect more and more students to their Jewish identity each day,” she said. “Our Passover programming continues this, where our students graduate with the confidence to host their own Seders in their future homes.”
On Saturday, KU Hillel staff are hosting a chametz party to celebrate the end of Passover. The event will feature bread, cookies and other foods for students to nosh on.
Throughout the holiday, and every day, KU Hillel is available to provide support for those in need of meals as well. Every day of the week features a new kosher-for Passover lunch, including matzah pizza and matzah brei. Students have submitted requests for Passover meals, and KU Hillel staff have picked up ingredients to make them throughout the week.
