LJWorld.com

Tonight, in dozens of Lawrence homes, Jewish families will conduct a Passover Seder, a ritual that will include a holiday meal consisting of special foods and the retelling of the Jewish exodus from slavery under Egypt's pharaoh Ramses II.

"Passover is really very much a home family holiday," said Susan Elkins, vice president of the board of directors at the Lawrence Jewish Community Center, 917 Highland Drive.

But for those interested in celebrating with a larger group, KU Hillel will host a Passover Seder for Kansas University students and members of the Lawrence community at 6 p.m. in the Relay and Courtside rooms at the Burge Union. There will be an $18 fee per person at the door.

Many KU students who are Jewish go home for Passover if they live in the Kansas City area or other nearby towns, said Matt Lehrman, Hillel program director.

"I think it's important to offer a Seder for the students who don't go home," Lehrman said. There are other reasons for offering it to people in the community, he said.

"Some of them are busy, and they have a job and they just don't have time to do a Seder on their own."

The Seder - pronounced say-der, meaning order - is the key aspect of the eight-day Passover commemoration. And for many families that tradition will be held a second night as well, Lehrman and Elkins said.

The Jewish Community Center will offer its regularly scheduled services this weekend. Hillel will have kosher lunches and dinners as part of the Passover celebrations during the next several days. A complete schedule including fees can be found online at kuhillel.org.

One of the biggest differences about Passover and the meals is the food.

"If you go out to a restaurant, you avoid products that are made with wheat," Elkins said. "You wouldn't have beer or anything with yeast in it."

According to tradition, kosher foods serve as a reminder that when the Jews fled Egypt they left in a hurry, without time to allow their bread dough to rise. The bread remained flat and hard like a cracker, or matzah.

For children, the highlight of the Passover Seder is usually the hiding of the afikomen. It is a piece of matzah loaf, and usually it is the father who hides it.

"In our family, the children usually hide it, and dad tries to find it because he is so awful at finding things," Elkins said, referring to her husband, Jack Winerock. "They find that incredibly funny."

Although Elkins and Winerock's children are grown, they will have other children over for the celebration, Elkins said.