The Ithaca Journal (New York), April 13, 2006, Thursday

The Ithaca Journal, April 13, 2006, Thursday

Passover celebration draws hundredsCornell hosts ‘super seder'

By JODY ROSELLEJournal Staff

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060413/NEWS01/604130334/1002

ITHACA - It's about passing along the story of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt to the younger generation.
“The seder is to celebrate,” said Ed Rosenthal, executive director of Cornell Hillel and a campus rabbi. “We do it to remember the exodus.”
Members of the Cornell community gathered in the Barton Hall gymnasium Wednesday for a seder meal, part of the traditional Passover observance.
Traditionally, the meal consists of matzah — the unleavened bread symbolizing flat bread that didn't have time to rise before the departure — bitter herbs, charoset, salt water for tears, parsley marking the green of spring, a boiled or roasted egg for birth and a shank bone to symbolize the Passover sacrifice.Wednesday's event has been classified by Cornell Hillel organizers as a “super seder” because of its many concurrent seder rituals. Maayan Jaffe, a Torah educator for the Jewish Learning Initiative at Cornell, reported 55 seder leaders and tables to accommodate an expected 800 to 900 participants.
Jordan Wells, 20, a junior industrial and labor relations major, joined with other students from his program for a social justice seder.
“In the context of our social justice seder, it serves as a reminder of people overcoming tremendous oppression,” Wells said. “That's part of the history of the Jewish people.”
An important part of Jewish history, Passover stems from the liberation of Israelite slaves from Egypt by Moses, who confronted the Pharaoh Ramses II about releasing them. God said he would send the angel of death to kill the first-born in every household except for those with lamb's blood painted on the doorway. As the story goes, the angel passed through the Israelite quarter and spared the children but slaughtered Egyptian children. Soon, Ramses released the Israelites and, led by Moses into the desert, eventually founded Israel.
The Haggadah, a book containing prayers, hymns and story passages, is used to tell the story of the departure from Egypt during the meal and ask the question: Why is this night different from other nights?
After coordinating dozens of volunteers, caterers serving kosher foods and schedules, Jaffe said she was pleased with the turnout.
“The Passover is a very important holiday because it's the anniversary of our exodus from Egypt,” she said. “Passover means a holiday all about family and practicing our religion freely.”
Sigmund Cherem, 26, a doctoral student in computer science, said he was impressed by the size of the gathering.
“I come from Venezuela so you don't see things like this there,” Cherem said. “I came with some friends ... from Venezuela. It's been the most important family event.”

Originally published April 13, 2006