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Vol. LXI, No. 16
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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Vol. LXI, No. 16
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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The Hun School of Princeton hosted its first annual Seder on Tuesday, April 10, in the school's Alumni Dining Room as the result of an initiative by two of its students.
Senior Lucy Obus and sophomore Aly Drazin introduced the traditional Jewish Passover Seder with the help of Hun school psychologist Dana Liebmann, faculty members Melissa Dorfman and Stella Greenbaum, staff member Andrea Bass, the school's Diversity Club coordinator LeRhonda Greats, and alumnus Justin Zises.
"Passover makes me smile. I love sharing it with my crazy family and so I hoped to extend that tradition to my family at Hun," said Ms. Obus.
Unlike Jewish observances that are held in the synagogue, a Seder is designed to be conducted with friends and family at home. As a residential school with a familial community, Hun School students and faculty felt it was fitting to host a Seder on campus.
"I was pleasantly surprised by how readily the project was supported and launched," said Ms. Obus, who wrote a grant proposal for project that resulted in some $870 to cover the costs. She hoped that other Hun students would embrace the Seder with openness and curiosity, she said. By all accounts, Ms. Obus's expectations were met. The event was described by a school representative as a "great success."
From the Hebrew word meaning "order," Seder refers to a series of readings from a special prayer book. A Passover Seder memorializes the enslavement and honors the fleeing of the Jewish people of Israel from Ancient Egypt.
In addition to traditional readings, the Hun's Passover Seder consisted of the drinking of four cups of wine (the students were given symbolic grape juice), the eating of matzot, and the eating of and reference to symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate.
Headmaster James M. Byer attended the special feast along with other school administrators, faculty, and students. A school representative has said that the school is committed to hosting the event annually. Rabbi Vicki Tuckman led the service.
Ms. Obus and Ms. Drazin were supported in their efforts by a new grant program, TConnect, from The Curriculum Initiative (TCI), which has provided resources and programs to bolster the identity of independent schools' Jewish students and nurture school communities' appreciation for Jewish culture and traditions since 1996.
TConnect is designed to foster student-driven programs that incorporate a Jewish voice so as to build on schools' diversity efforts and benefit students of diverse backgrounds. For more information about the Hun School, call (609) 921-7600.