Ivy and Cottage clubs hold first annual Passover Seder

"Baruch atah . . . Elohaynu, melech ha'olam . . ."

The recitation of Hebrew is not a common practice during dinner at The Ivy Club, but, then again, this wasn't any other meal. Last Tuesday, April 6, students gathered to celebrate the first annual Ivy/Cottage Seder. The CJL and other organizations also held similar Passover events last week, but for a small group of students, the modest-sized room tucked in the second floor of Ivy afforded the perfect space to celebrate the Jewish holiday with a close group of friends.

"I thought it was a terrific balance between taking religion seriously and enjoying the company of friends on a special religious occasion," said Joshua Geltzer '05, one of the event's organizers and an Ivy member. "It was a nice chance to bring people from different clubs and faiths."

Jewish students and non-Jewish students alike came together to read aloud from the Haggadah (a Jewish text of songs and prayers) and a collection of traditional and nontraditional texts that related to the holiday.

"The message of the Seder is not just Jewish," said Johnny Chavkin '05, the main Seder coordinator. "Instead it has a more universal nature, and I think all the readings touched on that." The handpicked selections spanned everything from the significance of typical Seder foods to excerpts from modern literature, such as "Night" by Elie Wiesel. During the prayers, the students shared typical Seder foods such as horoset (an apple and nut dish), matzoh (unleavened bread), horseradish, wine and saltwater (to symbolize the tears of the Jews ). All the traditional elements of a Seder dinner were included, such as the sharing of the blessed matzoh and the dipping of celery into salted water.

"They did a good job of incorporating the traditional with the new," Emily Minkow '04 said.

Coming from a household that uses traditional readings and encourages everyone to participate, Minkow found the format of the Ivy/Cottage Seder familiar.

"It was really nice to be with a large group of friends, and, in many ways, it was similar to the way I celebrate it at home" Minkow said.

Chavkin organized the event after agreeing with a handful of fellow Cottage and Ivy members that a joint celebration would be a fun way to observe Passover away from home. Ivy members were also enthusiastic about the idea, including the Club's staff. Paul Schierea, an Ivy chef, helped prepare the main courses for the students.

According to Chavkin, his only regret about the joint Seder was that it couldn't accommodate a lot of students.

"We weren't sure how it was going to work, since it was our first year," Chavkin said. "However, I hope we can open it up to more people next year, since the spirit of the holiday is inclusive."