To celebrate the holiday of Passover,  San Francisco State University’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace hosted their first-ever “Liberation Seder” dinner in the Quad on Monday. Held on the grass beside Malcolm X Plaza, the event, which had a turnout of 12 attendees, was meant to serve as something of a traditional seder dinner — a ritual meal where the story of Passover, the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt, is told and celebrated — but also as a place where participants focused on the connections they saw between the story of Passover and the current situation in Gaza. 

“Passover is about the exodus of Jewish people from the land of Egypt,” said Abby Schwartz, a JVP chapter member. “I was just kind of reflecting and realizing that a lot of the occupation in Palestine right now is kind of like using the exile of Jewish people to justify the exodus of another group of people. And so I think the meaning of the story of Passover can still be significant. And I think we can change the meaning as it applies to our own lives and what’s going on in the world.”

This change of meaning  was made most clear by the specially made Haggadah that was at the center of the “Liberation Seder.”

A Haggadah is a written text of narrative, prayer and reflection that is read during a seder dinner.

While some Haggadot read during a seder dinner will contain references to current or past political events and then draw connections between them and the story of Passover, this kind of political reflection intertwined with the traditional ritual was the focus of the entirety of this Haggadah. 

It contained traditional prayers and rituals alongside modern poetry, discussions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and statements of political protest that incorporate Jewish theology and law. 

“JVP National has worked with campuses from all across the country to build a Liberation Seder and Haggadah to go along with it,” said Schwartz. “This one is centering Palestine and connecting the story of Passover to Palestine. There’s a lot of overlap in like symbolism, especially in some of the foods that we eat, not just on Passover but on a lot of Jewish holidays.”

As for food, this seder had many of the traditional staples one would see on a seder plate — parsley, horseradish, charoset and an egg — but it also contained a few additional items: an orange, which has long been used by some people on their seder plates to represent the inclusion of marginalized people like women and LGBTQ+ individuals in the Jewish community;  olives,  which represent solidarity with the people of Palestine;  a strawberry, which represents Gaza; and a spoon, which represents the disabled.

“This year it’s not so much a celebration,” said JVP SF Chapter member Jen Levinson, who came to the event to support SFSU’s student-run chapter. “We always tell the story of our people’s biblical liberation from slavery, but we always say that no one’s free until all of us are free. And I really think that that means that as Jews, we all have a responsibility to fight for Palestinian liberation.”

JVP, founded in 1996, is the largest Jewish, anti-Zionist organization in the world, with 35 chapters across the United States, according to its website.

SFSU has had its chapter since its founding during the pro-Palestinian encampment that took place during the Spring 2023 semester, according to Schwartz. Besides weekly Shabbat dinners hosted at Malcolm X Plaza, Schwartz said that JVP SFSU has come out to support actions and rallies organized by other student organizations, such as the General Union of Palestine Students and the Student Union.

JVP SFSU also drew attention last semester when they constructed a pro-Palestinian sukkah on the Quad during the holiday of Sukkot, with SF Hillel’s sukkah standing on the other side of the Quad. Students congregated at both structures, with some people even moving between the two. However, on Monday, members of JVP SFSU wanted to make it clear that their organization is distinct from Hillel.

“My issue with Hillel is that it’s a Zionist organization,” said Ana Tamar-Zeiger, a chapter member. “They have partnered with the ADL, for example, who have participated in the doxxing of anti-Zionist students, whether they are Jewish or not, and that is absolutely unacceptable.” 

However, in a statement to Golden Gate Xpress, SF Hillel’s Executive Director Roger Feigelson denied the accusation that Hillel works with the ADL and made it clear that while Hillel does support the classic definition of Zionism — the right of the Jewish people to their own sovereign state — that does not mean they believe a Palestinian state cannot exist alongside an Israeli one. He also established that Hillel does not necessarily support the Israeli government or its actions. 

“We don’t really dig into politics much, it’s not what we do. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a variety of views, we just don’t program around it,” Feigelson said. “It’s a surprising comment to hear that SF Hillel doesn’t reflect the diversity of Jewish voices on campus. We welcome all voices from across the political spectrum, Jewish level of observance or stance on Israel. And we have students from across these spectrums. In fact, as is Jewish custom, we embrace discussing opposing views and wrestling with complex ideas.”

Feigelson also noted that Hillel’s seder last Sunday had more than 60 people in attendance, which included administrators. 

“We haven’t received any explicit pushback from Hillel,” said Schwartz. “People have seemed to enjoy the community that we’ve cultivated at our events.”

While the group may have been somewhat small, participants of the Liberation Seder were inviting and welcoming anyone who wished to see what it was. A couple of the students who wandered by the event even ended up joining it. 

“I was leaving my class and saw people I recognized in the Quad, so I decided to come and join,” said Shaun E, a cinema student. Shaun stated that he is not Jewish and did not know much about Jewish culture. However, he felt that he “learned a lot” during the dinner. 

“I thought it was really interesting, especially how conscious it was about politics and modern issues while also leaning into tradition,” said E.

When the time for the meal came, unexpected cold weather drove the liberation seder into the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Participants warmed themselves inside with matzo ball soup that Schwartz provided, with both chicken broth and vegetable-based broth available.  Throughout the meal, participants talked, joked and laughed, but also continued to discuss what they had gone over in the Haggadah.

“I feel strongly that what Israel is doing goes against the mitzvot that we take down, that we take upon us,” said cinema student and JVP member Hunter Manly, referencing the commandments of Jewish law that one is instructed by the Torah to uphold. “What’s happening in the name of religion is not right and it’s not a normal time,” said Manly. “So why are we having a normal seder? We need to acknowledge what’s happening in the world.”

Schwartz said that the immediate goals of the JVP SFSU chapter are to continue building connections, host events, including weekly Shabbat dinners on Fridays and to uplift the voices of Palestinians around the Bay Area. Schwartz said the organization seeks to provide a space for students to experience a non-Zionist Jewish space.

“There’s a lot of repression going on on college campuses for any students or organizations that support Palestine,” said Schwartz. “Keeping everyone safe is kind of our top priority right now.”

This story has been updated to correct Roger Feigelson’s name and Abby Schwartz’s position in the organization.