WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida
UF Hillel celebrates Passover while reflecting on Israeli hostages in Gaza
By Sam Zimmermann
April 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM EDT
As members of Gainesville’s Jewish community entered Hillel to celebrate Passover, a memorial sat at the entrance encouraging participants to keep in mind during the holiday the 59 hostages currently held in captivity by Hamas.
Several students wrote notes. A sign on the table read "Don't Passover Them.”
Over 332 students and residents attended University of Florida’s Hillel chapter Passover Seder Saturday night. This year, Hillel’s religious leaders and attendees said the holiday offers an opportunity to connect with friends amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
This memorial honors the 59 victims in Hamas captivity as the Jewish community prays for their safety. (Sam Zimmermann/WUFT News) (3002x3017, AR: 0.995028173682466)
Rabbi Jonah Zinn has been leading Hillel’s Passover services for the past six years.
“Passover is a time for the Jewish community to come together, to recall the story of the exodus from Egypt and understand how that ancient triumph relates to their own lives,” he said.
Every year the Jewish people celebrate Passover by telling the story of the enslaved Israelites escaping from the oppressive Pharaoh’s rule.
Every day that the Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, God brought a plague upon the Egyptians. The final plague was the death of the firstborn, but God told the Israelites to mark their doors with lamb’s blood so their homes could be passed over. This is where the term Passover comes from.
“Every year the story resonates differently. Everyone comes in with different experiences over the past year,” Zinn said.
During the Seder, he told attendees Passover is a story of darkness and light. But he hoped that this service could bring a sense of wholeness, peace, and gratitude to everyone in attendance.
“The world that we live in affects how people experience the holiday. A lot of people are thinking of the hostages that are still being held in Gaza and that pains them deeply. The backdrop of everything the Jewish community has gone through is part of the story for a lot of people,” he said.
This Seder plate features the Charoset (paste), Maror and Chazeret (bitter herbs), Karpas (vegetable), Beitza (egg) and Zeroa (shankbone). (Sam Zimmermann/WUFT News) (5712x4284, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
Several students, including UF student Jacob Tastensen, tied the events of Passover directly to what the hostages are experiencing.
“The story of escaping Egypt is still relevant because there are still Jews that aren’t free,” Tastensen said.
UF student Alex Slintak said the holiday offered an opportunity for his community to come together.
“I showed up because I think it’s an important holiday and a good sense of community. The point is to be together. It’s nice to see everyone come together,” Slintak said.
Reflecting on the hostages was also encouraged by Hillel during the Seder ceremony
The Seder plate features six ingredients that represent a different aspect of the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt.
The meal includes two hand-washing blessings and four blessings of wine. This year, Hillel said a prayer for a fifth cup of wine, honoring the hostages in Gaza. The congregation shared a moment of silence as members reflected in a personal prayer.
Every year four questions are asked during the service. Why is this night different from all other nights? Why do we only eat Matzah on this night? Why do we eat bitter herbs on this night? And finally, why do we recline on this night?
The four answers are freedom, divine service, gratitude and symbolism. The matzah and bitter herbs represent the struggle and bitterness of slavery, while reclining represents newfound freedom.
“Our hope is that no matter what they bring to the Seder, that they merge with a greater sense of who they are, what they’re doing in this world and a sense of gratitude and responsibility for creating a world that is more full of justice and love,” Rabbi Jonah said.
Several students wrote notes. A sign on the table read "Don't Passover Them.”
Over 332 students and residents attended University of Florida’s Hillel chapter Passover Seder Saturday night. This year, Hillel’s religious leaders and attendees said the holiday offers an opportunity to connect with friends amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
This memorial honors the 59 victims in Hamas captivity as the Jewish community prays for their safety. (Sam Zimmermann/WUFT News) (3002x3017, AR: 0.995028173682466)
Rabbi Jonah Zinn has been leading Hillel’s Passover services for the past six years.
“Passover is a time for the Jewish community to come together, to recall the story of the exodus from Egypt and understand how that ancient triumph relates to their own lives,” he said.
Every year the Jewish people celebrate Passover by telling the story of the enslaved Israelites escaping from the oppressive Pharaoh’s rule.
Every day that the Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, God brought a plague upon the Egyptians. The final plague was the death of the firstborn, but God told the Israelites to mark their doors with lamb’s blood so their homes could be passed over. This is where the term Passover comes from.
“Every year the story resonates differently. Everyone comes in with different experiences over the past year,” Zinn said.
During the Seder, he told attendees Passover is a story of darkness and light. But he hoped that this service could bring a sense of wholeness, peace, and gratitude to everyone in attendance.
“The world that we live in affects how people experience the holiday. A lot of people are thinking of the hostages that are still being held in Gaza and that pains them deeply. The backdrop of everything the Jewish community has gone through is part of the story for a lot of people,” he said.
This Seder plate features the Charoset (paste), Maror and Chazeret (bitter herbs), Karpas (vegetable), Beitza (egg) and Zeroa (shankbone). (Sam Zimmermann/WUFT News) (5712x4284, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
Several students, including UF student Jacob Tastensen, tied the events of Passover directly to what the hostages are experiencing.
“The story of escaping Egypt is still relevant because there are still Jews that aren’t free,” Tastensen said.
UF student Alex Slintak said the holiday offered an opportunity for his community to come together.
“I showed up because I think it’s an important holiday and a good sense of community. The point is to be together. It’s nice to see everyone come together,” Slintak said.
Reflecting on the hostages was also encouraged by Hillel during the Seder ceremony
The Seder plate features six ingredients that represent a different aspect of the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt.
The meal includes two hand-washing blessings and four blessings of wine. This year, Hillel said a prayer for a fifth cup of wine, honoring the hostages in Gaza. The congregation shared a moment of silence as members reflected in a personal prayer.
Every year four questions are asked during the service. Why is this night different from all other nights? Why do we only eat Matzah on this night? Why do we eat bitter herbs on this night? And finally, why do we recline on this night?
The four answers are freedom, divine service, gratitude and symbolism. The matzah and bitter herbs represent the struggle and bitterness of slavery, while reclining represents newfound freedom.
“Our hope is that no matter what they bring to the Seder, that they merge with a greater sense of who they are, what they’re doing in this world and a sense of gratitude and responsibility for creating a world that is more full of justice and love,” Rabbi Jonah said.