Two lukewarm matzoh balls argue over Manischevitz.
Day after day I enter Harris or JA with temptations of bagels, M&M blondies and egg McConns. For me, a Jew on campus, keeping kosher for Passover was out of the question. At least twice I week I make the quick take-away sandwich because I don’t have enough time to eat lunch before class. I thrive on bready, carbohydrate-filled foods just to keep me awake and active during a normal day of classes. Although I do believe in keeping the Jewish religion alive, I find it almost impossible to do so during Passover on a college campus.
When I was younger, and even through my high school years, my family strove to keep Passover as present as possible in our household. I can still smell the delicious flourless chocolate meringue cookies that my mom made, or her matzo-meal Passover rolls. Not to mention her delicious matzo-ball soup! Growing up, I was exposed to endless Passover eating options, thanks to my grandmother’s family recipes passed down to my mother. Although it was a struggle as a child to not sneak the occasional Goldfish or two during this holy time, I found it much easier to keep kosher for Passover as a child than I do now.
At college, there is a constant need for energy. Because we must balance schoolwork, social life and extra activities, we need to be on top of our game 24/7. Being a very small girl, and quite a picky eater, I thrive on basic carbs and proteins in order to stay active and energized every day at school. Having so many less options for keeping kosher here than at home, I just don’t feel that I would have been able to function every day by only eating matzo!
Conn certainly does put in an effort when it comes to providing Passover-friendly food options. However, I don’t necessarily feel it’s completely sufficient. Yes, there was matzo at every meal during Passover, but just how many meals can you eat made from the dry, flat “bread”? I heard many fellow Jews explain their frustration with the lack of recipes they could come up with involving matzo here at Conn (though I did see people get awfully creative – matzo pizza seemed to be a favorite). One of my friends who was keeping kosher for Passover explained to me at last Tuesday’s bar night that he couldn’t believe he was drunk off of a mere two glasses of wine, just because all he had been eating was a different variation of matzo for every meal.
I miss the days when my parents rid our household of all things containing flour, and replaced them with creative, delicious Passover options. It made the eight-day fasting period much more delightful and manageable. I thoroughly commend any of the Jewish students on this campus who were able to push past the yummy, flour-filled temptations that fill our dining halls. Does it make me a bad Jew for thinking it would just be too difficult? •
