For years, I've organized a Passover Seder at my school. Because Hotchkiss has a global population, many of the students here can't go celebrate holidays with their families. The School generously supports my efforts both to provide a Seder for the Jewish students here and to open the Seder to non-Jewish students, faculty, and staff who would like to find out what happens at a Seder. For years and years, I hosted the event in our campus house's dining room, sometimes bringing in our patio table and a folding table to create enough spaces for everyone. I would spend the week happily cooking and preparing. Lately, fortunately, the group has gotten too big for me to do everything. Plus, three years ago, when I was sick, I had the dining services cater everything. They did such a great job on everything except the charoset that I now have them do all of the cooking (with that one exception) every year.
Of course, that's history, not an explanation. I'm writing this post three days into my week of not eating bread and thinking about why I love this holiday. I do love that at Hotchkiss, we invite everyone. Each year, we have a great mix of Jewish and non-Jewish students celebrating together. I also love that over the years, we've finally found haggadahs that offer hope and love as guideposts.
But I like the whole week of Passover. I like the daily reminder that I'm not eating leavened bread. I write all of this as somebody who loves bread, a third favorite to candy and popcorn. When I don't eat bread for the week, I think about all of the Jewish people who've come to places like Hotchkiss before me. Now, the Dining Hall sets up a Seder plate front and center and provides me every meal with matzoh, gefilte fish, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs. Now, I don't have to hide my food or explain my choices. Now, I know that I'm lucky because not all Jewish kids and teachers at elite schools such as Hotchkiss have been able to fly their Jewish flags. We've had anti-Semitic acts here on campus over the years, even pretty recently, but I don't believe the people doing these acts hate me personally. I believe they need to put faces to the word Jewish to help them learn whom they're hurting. Even when the Dining Hall's meal has no leavening in it, I take matzoh from the Seder setup to show people in the Dining Hall that this is what Jewish looks like. I invite everyone to Seder to say, "ALL are welcome here." Passover, in my mind, offers everyone a delicious way to learn about a people many don't understand. That's why I love Passover.
What are your favorite holidays? Feel free to leave a comment explaining what's great about your choices.
