DC to Host Passover Seder April 19

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College, St. John United Church of Christ and Sodexo will host a Passover Seder on Tuesday, April 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The dinner will be held in the Serrick Campus Center, Hubbard Banquet Room on the DC campus.

The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Traditionally, families and friends gather in the evening to read the text of the Haggadah, an ancient work which gives a narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, commentaries from the Talmud, and sing special Passover songs. Passover has special significance for Christians as the Last Supper was in part a Passover Seder.

The Rev. Dr. William R. Nirote, pastor of St. John UCC, will give the welcome and DC President Mark C. Gordon will lead the dinner. This experience is part of Defiance College’s heritage as an institution that welcomes all faiths and offers the entire community opportunities to broaden its cultural experiences and perspectives.

The event will include a series of ritual Jewish foods appropriate to the holiday such as matzah, parsley, charoset, egg and numerous other foods. The symbolic significance of each will be explained. A full dinner will be served.

The event is open to students, members of St. John UCC congregation, and to any interested members of the college and public communities. A free will offering will be accepted to help defray the cost of the meal. Persons interested in attending the dinner can make reservations by calling the St. John UCC office at 419-782-4176 by April 5.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.

March 24, 2011