Sundown on Saturday, April 19 marked the beginning of Passover, one of the most important holidays in the Jewish faith. Officially, Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. For Jewish students on a Catholic campus, the celebration of Passover can be challenging.
Seder at St Mike's
Charlie Packer, University of Vermont junior, says that Passover is all about families getting together and in many
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The entrance to Ahavath Gerim synagogue on Archibald Street in Burlington's North End. There are a number of temples in the area where Jewish students can attend Passover services. (Photo by Abby Robitaille) |
ways; it’s like a Jewish Thanksgiving.
At the University of Vermont, there is a substantial Jewish student population. The University hosts a Jewish student organization and a Hillel House that offer UVM students the opportunity to have Seder together, he says.
The seder is a ceremonial dinner that takes place during the seven days of Passover.
St. Michael’s has a small community of Jews that have planned to celebrate Passover together.
“A few of my Jewish friends and I plan on getting together and celebrating Seder together on campus,” says junior Alex Canning.
Going chametz-free in Alliot
Observing Passover includes excluding any “chametz,” or leavened bread products, from the diet. These include cookies, cereal, and most other types of grain products, including beer.
During Passover, Dining Services tries to accommodate those observing the dietary restrictions associated with the holiday. Hank Strashnick, dining services manager at St. Michael's, says the dining halls are going to be offering a variety of different foods that Jews can eat.
“We are going to put matzoh bread out for the next week and offer a variety of different types of meat items that don’t have any breading,” Strashnick says. “We are also going to have a couple of dessert recipes that don’t use flour.”
At UVM, dining halls also serve different types of kosher food.
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Matzoh, the unleavened bread that is an integral part of the Passover experience. (Public domain photo) |
“It nice to have options like matzoh pizza and other types of kosher meals at UVM,” Packer says. “Even the restaurant Sadie Katz downtown is serving matzoh meals.”
Sophomore Sara Longpre says she tries to follow the restrictions of Passover, but acknowledges that on occasion she eats restricted foods.
Packer follows the food restrictions closely, but admits that he does indulge in a few beers on the weekends.
Going beyond Catholocism on campus
Not all St. Michael’s students are aware that Passover began last weekend. Sophomore student Joe Palatuccis says he doesn’t know anything about Passover except that you eat matzoh.
There has been no known attempt to form a Jewish club or organization at St. Michael’s and the school does not stop holding classes during Jewish holidays. Canning and Longpre have never had any problem with this policy.
Canning chose to come to St. Michael’s because it's like a family, he says.
"Everyone was so nice and welcoming," he says. "It just felt right.
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Sadie Katz Delicatessen, located on Bank Street in Burlington, is one off-campus establishment that offers Kosher for Passover food options. |
St. Michael’s does offer a 300-level course about Judaism that students can take.
At the beginning of the school year, St. Michael’s has an interfaith gathering in which students of all religions can come together and meet people of their faith, says the Rev. Brian J. Cummings, director of the Edmundite Campus Ministry at St. Michael’s.
Cummings hopes this meeting is an opportunity for students of different faiths to meet other religious officials, he says.
Longpre says that religion didn’t play any part in her decision to attend St. Michaels.
“I saw the school and loved it regardless that it’s a Catholic school,” Longpre says.