URI Hillel celebrates Passover

By: Annie-Laurie Hogan

Posted: 4/25/08

04/25/08 - University of Rhode Island Hillel students celebrated Passover this week with traditional matzah recipes and Shabbat services.

"Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt after hundreds of years of slavery," Amy Olson, director of URI Hillel, said.

Jews observing the holiday are not allowed to eat leavened products or corn syrup during the eight-day duration. Matzah, or unleavened bread, serves as a religiously symbolic substitute.

"When the Jews were leaving Egypt, they had to hastily depart, so they didn't have time to let their dough rise," Olson said.

Last night, students ate matzah brei, which is matzah flavored with cinnamon, jelly and/or syrup. "It's sort of like matzah French toast," Olson said.

Other symbolic Passover foods usually include green vegetables, such as parsley or celery, dipped in salt. The green vegetable represents spring and the salt represents the tears Jews shed during slavery, Olson said. Bitter herbs or horseradish are also typically included in a meal.

"It symbolizes, as one may expect, the bitterness of slavery," Olson said.

Haroset, a mix of chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon and sweet wine or grape juice, is symbolic of the bricks Jews made during their bondage in Egypt.

Olson emphasized that Passover celebrates family togetherness, traditions and special recipes.

"It's all about remembering what your ancestors went through," she said.

Senior Mitchell Doctor said that recipes are passed on from generation to generation. He said that his family uses the same matzah ball soup recipe that his great-grandparents used.

Freshman Dayna Rignanese celebrated Passover at Hillel last night with her sister and mother. She said Hillel helps students observe the holiday by offering kosher meals not typically provided in the dining halls.

"It's hard to keep kosher in the dining halls," she said. "We come here and we know we can eat this."

Rignanese said her family usually makes brisket and a nut and wine Passover cake to celebrate the holiday.

The first two days of Passover are known as the Seder, meaning "order" in Hebrew, Olson said. During the Seder, family members form a circle and read from the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Jewish exodus.

"It's done to encourage a lot of questions, answers, singing and conversation," she said.

Hillel will host a Shabbat service and dinner tonight at 5:30 at the Hillel center, located at 12 Fraternity Circle. The event is free and open to all students.

Next week Hillel will observe Holocaust Memorial Day by planting flags in front of the Multicultural Center. The flags will represent the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust.