To the Editor:
Passover, the Jewish celebration of the exodus from Egypt, began Saturday evening, April 19, and continues through Sunday evening, April 27. Vanderbilt Dining Services is working together with Vanderbilt Hillel to provide Jewish students with hot, kosher food for Passover meals throughout the duration of the holiday. I am pleased to recognize Dining Services’ commitment to the needs of Jewish students and to thank them for working so hard to facilitate our observance of this very important holiday. I am also grateful to Rabbi Saul Strosberg, Hillel’s Rabbi-in-residence, who supervises kosher food for Hillel, Vanderbilt University and Grins cafe.
In accordance with Jewish law, during Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating any grain that has not first been turned into matzah, a mixture of flour and water with no other additives that is mixed, kneaded and baked into a thin cracker within a time frame so limited that it prevents any leavening from taking place. In order to assure students’ ability to comply with this rule, Vanderbilt Hillel is working with Vanderbilt Dining to offer lunch and dinner at the Schulman Center, for purchase with Meal Money or Commodore Cash.
Vanderbilt Dining will also use the week of Passover as an educational opportunity for the wider Vanderbilt community. Both at Rand and at The Commons, a table will be set up with information about the holiday and free matzah. Dining will also provide kosher-style Passover meals. While Vanderbilt Dining does not have a kosher kitchen in which to prepare strictly kosher food for Passover meals, each day a traditional Passover menu item will be featured, like matzah ball soup or brisket. (Students need to understand these items are only kosher-style, which means there is no guarantee that they do not contain grain products that Jewish tradition considers prohibited on Passover.)
Vanderbilt Dining has also begun to stock the Varsity Markets with kosher items for Passover products such as soup, gefilte fish, kosher meat meals and candy. These products are available as part of meal plan or can be bought with Meal Money.
Throughout this week Hillel will sponsor a variety of additional events, such as a free matzah brei brunch on April 23 and a free Shabbat dinner on April 25. Information on reservations for the Seders and on the Passover meal plan is available at the Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life or online on the Vanderbilt Hillel Web site.
Gabrielle Avery-Peck
Junior, A&S
