Chabad Jewish Student Organization at Colorado State University will be hosting their annual Passover Seder Friday at 7 p.m. in the Lory Student Center North Ballroom. This event is co-sponsored by the Associated Students of CSU, the Residence Hall Association and the LSC.

Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi, the two Jewish student Greek organizations on campus, will assist in the event.

“The Seder is not just about commemorating history, it’s about going through a journey,” said Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik said.

This will be the thirteenth anniversary of this event on CSU’s campus. It is expected to host 200 attendees or more.

Those in attendance will partake in traditional kosher food and Passover traditions, including the 15 step involved in the holiday, which each represents a different form of freedom, from the drinking of the wine to breaking the matzah. The holiday will include the reading of passages by all attending.

Gorelik will lead these exercises, along with Matthew Merian, the president of Chabad at CSU.

“Every year, I’m always excited to celebrate the holiday,” Merian said. “It has a big story behind it and a lot of meaning.”

Chabad at CSU’s Passover Seder is intended to build community, joy and positivity, Gorelik said.

With recent instances of anti-Semitism on campus, Gorelik and Merian agreed that their intent is to assure students of their safe place in Chabad.

Merian said that CSU President Tony Frank and the administration at the University have been working to maintain this sense of community and have been forthcoming about informing the Jewish community of any instances of hate on campus.

“Our focus is a reminder that, ultimately family, community and spirituality will triumph over the evil and negativity,” Gorelik said.

Merian said that the Jewish community is responding to such events, and that he looks forward to this holiday every year, especially because of its ability to form connections within the community.

“I like taking a moment to recognize where I am,” Merian said, regarding Passover Seder as a time for reflection. “I think people can always find something negative, but regardless of what that is, you need to move forward and you need to move on.”

Collegian reporter Audrey Weiss can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Audkward.