BYU has held Seder Services for nearly 40 years, for all interested, to show how the typical Jewish Passover holiday is celebrated.
Jeffrey R. Chadwick is hosting this year’s event in room 3228 of the Wilkinson Student Center on March 14, 21, 28, and April 11 as well as room 3280/3290 on March 15. The four-week presentation is held on Fridays to preserve the feeling of the Jewish Shabbat.
The Passover Seder dinner is a Jewish feast marking the start of the Jewish Passover holiday.
“The program runs very much like it does in a typical Jewish home,” said ancient scripture professor Kent Jackson.
The two-and-a-half-hour presentation includes readings from the Haggadah, an explanation of the Passover service and an authentic kosher meal complete with the Biblical unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Chadwick says guests should be prepared for a Seder Service that is explained for the Mormon audience complete with Jewish traditions and foods.
“It’s a very long, ritualistic meal, and the Seder done at BYU does a very good job of creating an authentic experience,” said ancient Near Eastern studies senior Jasmin Gimenez. “I got to meet new people, recite prayers in Hebrew and sing songs about the Exodus out of Egypt.”
The Passover Seder Services at BYU provide the public with a unique learning experience that makes the connection between the Jewish holiday and what it means for Christians.
“This is your family history,” Chadwick said. “Jews remember the Exodus every year at Passover — Mormons should too.”
The Seder Services are open to the public, and tickets are now on sale at 271 Joseph Smith Building on the south end of BYU’s campus. Current students, faculty, and staff can purchase tickets for $20, and the public can purchase tickets for $30.
“This is our history. Our heritage. We are the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel,” Chadwick said.
