This evening marks the start of the holy festival of Passover, an important tradition celebrated by Jews all over the world. On campus, University Dining has options available for students celebrating the holiday.
Pesach, or Passover as it is more commonly known, is a festival that occurs from the 15th to the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. An important staple of Passover is the dinner known as Seder, which follows a set of guidelines that goes through a series of steps from a book known as the Haggadah.
"Passover is a holiday that brings families together to celebrate the Jews exodus from Egypt," Corey Gilman, president of Hillel, Ball State's Jewish student organization, said. "The Seder [the Passover dinner] is representative of our people's history, culture and traditions."
Throughout the night of Passover, which begins at sundown tonight and lasts through April 6, each step from the Haggadah is carried out and symbolizes a part of the Passover story. One step is to take a piece of parsley and dip it in salt water and eat it, representing tears. Another traditional food is a roasted lamb shank bone, which Gilman said represents sacrifices the Jewish people made at their temples in 70 A.D.
Another aspect of Passover more common in everyday life is the notion of kosher, which during the holiday means that eating leavened food items — foods made with yeast — is forbidden, Gilman said.
"Kosher, year-round, is basically a set of dietary guidelines," Gilman said, which include not eating pork or bottom-dwelling sea creatures, such as shellfish, and not mixing meat and milk.
Gilman said a lot of the rules were implemented to prevent food-related illnesses among the Jewish people.
Tim Keane, sophomore and co-secretary of Hillel, said some beverages, such as Coca-Cola, are not considered kosher during Passover, and the company will sell kosher Coke during the holiday.
Because many foods and drinks are made off-limits during Passover, it can be difficult to find items on campus, he said.
Lucas Miller, manager of menu development for University Dining, said the university tries to accommodate Jewish students during Passover and works with faculty, staff and students to find the best way to meet students' needs.
Miller said, in the past, students would have to go as far as Indianapolis to find foods suitable for Passover.
"Since many grocery stores within the Muncie area do not carry kosher-for-Passover foods, it was difficult for students who were looking for those items to acquire them," Miller said.
After consulting Hillel, Dining was able to purchase foods typically found in higher populated areas and make them available for purchase in Noyer Centre, Miller said.
Gilman said he was very happy with the results of Dining Services' efforts, which have allowed Jewish students on campus to remain kosher.
Keane said he has also found this to be a positive move on the part of Ball State Dining, noting that it could sometimes feel like a "tug of war" between getting things done and still abiding by the kosher laws.
Miller said students should not have to go out of their way to find Passover foods on campus this year.
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