Students who couldn’t make it home for Passover this year had the opportunity to celebrate with their University family.Hillel, the University Jewish student organization, held a sader for Jewish students and their guests Monday night at the faculty club. “We had about 60 students show up,” said Allison Harrison, president of Hillel. “The majority were Jewish students and a few non-Jewish students came as well for the educational experience.”The event was catered by LSU Dining, but Hillel had to put in special requests for the traditional Passover foods such as matza and gefilte fish. Hillel ordered extra portions so students living in dorms could have leftovers.Passover normally falls on the week of Spring Break. But Spring Break was moved this year, and many students couldn’t make it home to celebrate Passover with their families.The first two nights of Passover are the most holy days of Passover for Jews, and saders are traditionally held.Moshe Cohen, interim director of Hillel, said sader meals are similar to Easter and Christmas meals. “Everyone has their own special traditions,” Cohen said. Passages are read from the Haggadah, a Jewish religious text, at the beginning of each sader. The passages deal with the history and the story of Passover. Saders are deeply rooted in ritual, and a place is always set for the prophet Elijah, who is associated with the coming of the Messiah.”Judaism teaches us to work for a heaven on Earth,” said Cohen. “Some believe that the Messiah will visit Passover saders once this is achieved.”Passover is a celebration of freedom from oppression. There has been a modern to trend to include excerpts from works such as Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream Speech” or from “The Diary of Anne Frank” in the readings before a sader. Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Passover gets its name from the angel of death “passing over” the houses of enslaved Israelites. Passover lasts eight days. Passover started at sundown March 29 this year and will end at sundown April 6.Jews aren’t allowed to eat any products with yeast during Passover, including leavened bread and beer. Most American Jews also observe the tradition of not eating anything that may have been contaminated by leavened food. This includes foods like rice, beans and corn. Corn syrup is also forbidden under this tradition.”I know a few people who get really excited about sugar cane soda at this time of the year,” Cohen said.–Contact Mandy Francois at [email protected]