History was made Wednesday night inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, where Chabad UF and the University of Florida partnered to host one of the largest single-seated Passover Seders in the United States.
Hundreds of Jewish students, faculty, alumni, and community members, as well as politicians from the state and national levels, came together to enjoy the traditional seder meal that marks the opening night of Passover. More than that, it allowed everyone involved to spend quality time together, pray and reflect, sing traditional Jewish songs, and eat Jewish foods.
Passover centers on the Book of Exodus and tells the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in ancient Egypt. To celebrate, Jewish people will retell the story of Exodus at dinner and share symbolic foods in a four-part series prior to eating the full meal. This year, the holiday began on Wednesday, April 1 and will conclude on April 9.
“This is more than a Seder, it’s a powerful statement of Jewish pride, unity, and resilience,” said Rabbi Berl Goldman, director of Chabad UF. “At a time when Jewish students are seeking connection and strength, we are creating a space where they can celebrate their identity together with joy and meaning.”
Normally, Passover is spent with friends and family, but with the holiday falling just after UF’s spring break, Chabad UF decided to put together a group event where students do not have to feel left out of missing anything and can still celebrate.
One of those students is Ben Finkelstein, a UF graduate student studying educational technology and one of the thousands of Jewish students attending Florida. Prior to the Seder, Finkelstein spoke about the event and the positive impact it brings to the Jewish community with WUFT News.
DeLauder: What does it mean to be a part of this event tonight?
Finkelstein: It means a whole lot to me. Ever since I came to Gainesville, Chabad has been like a second home to me, a second family. They welcomed me to Florida. And it’s really cool to be a part of such a huge event. Everyone celebrates this for a reason. I guess it gives me pride in being Jewish in general.
DeLauder: For you, what does Passover mean on a deeper level and why is it so important?
Finkelstein: Apart from what Passover is, it is a celebration of our continued existence. We are people that are persecuted everywhere for thousands of years and this, alongside Purim, which was celebrated a couple of weeks ago. This is a celebration of life, of us still being here after countless massacres, etc. For UF, to not just be permissive, but helpful in a time when many schools aren’t, is something I really appreciate in standing with the size of the Jewish community here.
DeLauder: What does it mean for UF to be so active in being a part of Passover and this event tonight?
Finkelstein: It’s really good, it makes me very happy to see how proactive UF is with the Jewish community, especially with the trending rise in Anti-Semitism around the world. It is good to know that I am not alone; there is somewhere that accepts me.
DeLauder: Why do events like this matter at UF, regardless of the religion?
Finkelstein: It helps show that we are a resilient group. That we are not going to back down in the face of hate and we are not going to let that define our lives and who we are. We are going to be good people; we are going to be here no matter what. I feel like it is important for UF to be there for its students, for any university, but UF specifically- the size of the Jewish community here gives it a larger motivation to do these things. Even though this is not being done by UF specifically, giving the facilities, etc. They do it for other religions, too. I know they're doing Easter here on Sunday, right here. I just feel like UF should be there for everyone.
DeLauder: What part of the Seder is most meaningful to you?
Finkelstein: Getting to eat with my friends and family. I am a big eater.