Why is this night different from all other nights?
Jewish students have been navigating a year like no other. The antisemitism and anti-Israel hate have been at a scale that no one could have imagined. This year our seders will also be guarded by armed guards, our new reality at Hillel of San Diego. And yet, our students are resilient. They are proud. They are showing up to be Jewish. This year, our seders will be filled with joy and hope.
We invite our community to add a tulip to their seder table this year to honor our Jewish college students and as a symbol of HOPE and SOLIDARITY. We encourage you to take a picture of you and your family with your tulip on the table. We will be sharing these photos with our students as a reminder that the community has their back. You can send your photos to msatnick@hillelsd.org. We are hoping for 100 tulip pictures!
How can we be Kosher for Passover (or, as we call it, K for P) on campus?
At Hillel, we are hosting three seders, Passover lunches every single day on multiple campuses, a Mimouna celebration, and 20 other meal opportunities for students to engage in their Jewish traditions. From a seder inspired by the diversity of our Jewish community to cooking classes that prepare students to be active in their Jewish practice post-college, Hillel is preparing the next generation to be deeply connected to their Jewish identity. It can be hard to be Jewish on campus, especially if your meals are tied to a meal plan, so we make it easy for students by meeting all their K for P meal needs at Hillel, free of charge.
What Happens After Passover?
This year, Peace in Israel Week at UCSD and Yom Ha’atz Maut at SDSU will be unlike anything we have seen before. Every day, we will use our voices to advocate for Israel. As we say “next year in Jerusalem” on Passover, we will prepare to educate the larger campus community about Israel. From a community rally and dynamic speaker on May 14th to our Jewish Night Shuk on May 16th– there will be plenty of ways for the community to show support for Jewish students. Daily learning sessions on campus, advocacy events, and opportunities for students to show up as leaders are all at the core of our work now at Hillel of San Diego.
Why do we recline?
Ok, this is not a new question, but we have a new answer. On Passover, we recline but only for a short respite this year as we still have a lot of work to do to make our campus climates better for Jewish students. We will not rest until every Jewish student can feel safe and free from antisemitism and anti-Israel hate. Every day, we commit to advocacy, education, coalition building, working with administrators, empowering students to use their voices, and providing safety- and to that, we can all say, AMEN.
Chag Pesach Sameach to you and yours from all of us at Hillel of San Diego. Thank you for being a part of our community.
B’Shalom,
Karen
