This weekend will start Zalman Ives’ first Passover as associate rabbi and program director at Syracuse University’s Chabad House. He’s preparing to host interactive Passover Seders for the Jewish holiday that begins Friday night after taking over as rabbi last fall.

Traditionally, a Passover Seder consists of a ceremonial dinner and a ritual service, but SU will put its own spin on the traditional meal. The Ives will host Interactive Passover Seders featuring Jewish traditions along with a “Jewpardy” game and Seder puppets on Friday and Saturday at Chabad House. Zalman and his wife, Sarah, hope to make the Jewish faith and customs accessible and relevant in today’s culture.

Sarah, Chabad House’s co-programming director, will prepare a traditional Passover meal. In addition, Chabad House, which is located at 825 Ostrom Ave., will sell hand-baked, round shmurah matzah for people who would like it to-go, Zalman said.

“Shmurah” means “guarded” in Hebrew, he said, and matzah — unleavened bread — represents humility, along with the concept of not rising or bloating. Zalman suggested that if anyone goes to a grocery store like Wegmans to buy boxed square matzah, they should make sure it’s shmurah.

Passover is not just commemorating the Jewish people’s exodus out of Egypt, Zalman said, but finding and reliving the idea of freedom through one’s personal life. To Zalman, the idea of freedom is always relevant.

“Sometimes, the freedom is not from the things outside of ourselves, but it’s from things within ourselves. Getting free of all our own limitations, all our … hang-ups,” he said.

Founded in 1981, SU’s Chabad House is one of more than 3,500 Chabad centers around the world that serve the needs of Jewish communities, he said. He added that there are many ways to serve God, including through action and emotion. Jews are educated from a young age to teach what they know about their faith, no matter how little, to fellow Jews because it may help them.

Sarah said that it’s been the couple’s dream to run a Chabad House. They were attracted by the type of students at Syracuse University, the administration’s support of religious life and the welcoming nature of Brian Konkol, the new dean at Hendricks Chapel, Zalman said.

“To just service Jewish students and be there for whatever they need,” Sarah said, “whether it’s a listening ear, or some actual help, or chicken and soup.”

She wants students to feel comfortable being themselves without judgment at Chabad House and build personal relationships, she said. Zalman added that the couple enjoys the young energy and open minds of college students.

Raquel Wedgle, president of Chabad at SU and a senior public relations major, said the Ives make a strong effort to be a presence on campus. Chabad House quickly became a home away from home where she can be herself, she said.

“If I didn’t have Chabad here, quite honestly I don’t think I would be at Syracuse anymore,” Wedgle said.

Zalman said he aims for Chabad House to engage with 250 students — 10 percent of the Jewish undergraduate student body — each week. Currently, the house on Ostrom Avenue hosts home-cooked Shabbat meals with service every Friday evening and has hosted other events such as Hanukkah, Shabbat bring-a-friend and Purim.

Chabad House will also host SU’s first-ever Mega Shabbat at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center on April 20, culminating Jewish Heritage Week.

Services this weekend start at 7:15 p.m. at the Chabad House for the Seders. Students are encouraged to RSVP online, and Seder will last about two hours.

Published on March 28, 2018 at 9:14 pm

Contact Jiaman: jpeng04@syr.edu