Syracuse University Hillel and the Chabad House at SU are using online content to stay connected with students during this year’s Passover celebration.

This year’s Passover holiday begins after nightfall on April 8 and continues through April 16. SU Hillel typically hosts Seder, a ritual feast that marks the beginning of Passover, for students at the 40-yard line of the Carrier Dome. This year’s Seder feast will be held the nights of April 8 and 9.

“We knew there was always going to be a possibility that things would have to look different,” said Jillian Juni, executive director of SU Hillel. “The second that we were completely virtual for classes, we knew we had to have virtual content for Passover as well.”

SU announced March 16 that it would transition to online classes for the rest of the semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 1.4 million people and killed at least 88,500 worldwide.

Although SU Hillel will not be hosting a virtual Seder, Rabbi Joel Goldstein hosted an informational session for students before spring break where he discussed the meaning of Passover and the different symbols related to the holiday, Juni said.

The Hillel student committee also compiled and emailed students a Passover guide that included links to different Seders happening in various different time zones.

“So students could take a piece of their ’Cuse Seder home with them,” Juni said.

Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport, executive director of SU’s Chabad House, said he’s held four virtual webinars on how students could make their own Shmurah Matzah, the special bread eaten at Seder. They’ve even shipped Matzah to some students, Rapoport said.

Many students have called Rapoport directly, and he’s talked them through how to make the Matzah.

“The Matzah you buy in the store in the square boxes, that’s okay,” Rapoport said. “But for the Seder, this is very traditional. It’s the same way we’ve been doing it for thousands of years.”

Aside from his webinars, Rapoport has sent about a half dozen links to websites on how to make Matzah. Chabad House has access to online content, such as email updates and social media posts.

“This Passover is exactly the same way it was the night the Jews left Egypt,” Rapoport said. “It says clearly, God instructs them, ‘No person shall leave their house.’”

Juni said she hopes students can have as great of a Passover celebration as they possibly can in spite of the unusual circumstances. Because of social distancing measures, many students won’t be having the same celebration they’re used to, she said.

Passover is a holiday that brings families together, Juni said. She’s heard of families using Zoom and other platforms to celebrate the holiday together from a distance.

“I think there’s a lot of sadness in being apart,” Juni said. “(For) those who are able to be with their more immediate family, there’s a little bit of joy in that as well.”

Published on April 9, 2020 at 12:09 am

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