Jewish students will take time out for family and community when Passover begins on Saturday.
Jonathan Berg, program director for ASU Hillel, said Passover, a celebration to remember the Jewish exodus from Egypt, focuses on community more than any other Jewish holiday.
Hillel will hold events open to everyone through the week to celebrate, including a Seder meal Saturday evening.
"The Seder is typically done with families," he said, "and one of the most amazing things about the college and Hillel is that the entire Jewish community on campus becomes your family."
The Seder will be a two-part service with a dinner in between and will include several rituals specific to Passover.
"There are different foods that you eat -- you dip parsley in salt water, you eat matzoh with horseradish and haroseth, which is a mixture of generally apples, wine, honey and dates," he said.
"You have four cups of wine and you tell the story of the exodus from Egypt, when the Jews were slaves in Egypt leaving and becoming free," he added.
Berg said Hillel expects between 70 and 80 students at the dinner.
However, other students will celebrate the holiday at home. Pre-business freshman Ian Elias said he would go to Scottsdale to celebrate Passover with his family.
"We all take part in the services instead of one person eating [the Seder meal] so everyone gets the chance to experience Passover," Elias said.
Hillel's activities next week will include kosher lunches and dinners at the Hillel center most days and "Matzoh Balls on the Mall," where Hillel will sell matzoh ball soup on Hayden Lawn, on Tuesday.
Also, Hillel will hold "Seder in the Desert" on April 29 at Papago Park in Ramada 16 at 6:30 p.m.
The event will consist of singing, dancing, discussion and food.
"Passover is the anniversary of Jews wandering in the desert so we do a Seder in the desert," Berg said.
Saturday's Seder dinner will be held at the Hillel building at 1012 S. Mill Ave. at 6:45 p.m. and will cost $10 for students.
Reach the reporter at jourdan.rassas@asu.edu.
