Passover Brings Tradition, Connection to SUNY Oneonta Students

By DAKOTA KEATS
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA

With Passover beginning on the evening of Wednesday, April 1 and running through Thursday, April 9, SUNY Oneonta students seeking connection, tradition, and community will find no shortage of opportunities to celebrate through campus Hillel and the local Chabad of Oneonta, both of which are offering programming centered on one of Judaism’s most significant holidays. 

The two organizations, which often collaborate, play complementary roles in Jewish student life, providing social connection, religious education and holiday observance. For many students, these resources offer a sense of belonging that extends well beyond Passover activities. 

For junior Leah Smith, president of Hillel at SUNY Oneonta, getting involved with the organization early in her college career transformed her experience on campus. 

“I started to get involved in my freshman year and just wanted to connect with everybody and my culture,” Smith said.

What began as a way to meet people soon became something deeper.

“All my best friends are in that club. I’ve made so many connections,” Smith added.

Hillel International is the largest Jewish campus organization worldwide and the SUNY Oneonta chapter is the university’s only Jewish student organization. It regularly hosts meetings, social events, and Shabbat dinners, and also partners with Chabad for larger religious celebrations. Smith said the organization’s presence has become a constant in her week. 

“I’m literally with them all the time,” she said. “It’s so fun just to be with your friends and family.” 

That sense of community resonates strongly with sophomore Skyler Yanover, a Hillel board member who serves as religious education chair. Yanover, who previously participated in a Jewish youth organization, said she initially struggled with the transition to college. 

“I was having a really hard time adjusting, and then I heard about Hillel,” she said. “I went to the first meeting and absolutely loved it. It felt like a home, a second family.” 

Both students emphasized that Hillel’s relatively small size helps foster close relationships among members. 

“It’s a small group, which is so good, because you know everybody so personally,” Yanover said. “The second you walk in, you feel welcomed. You don’t even have to be Jewish.” 

Inclusivity is a defining principle of the organization, Smith said, noting that students from all backgrounds regularly attend meetings and events. 

“We don’t discriminate at all. Anyone can come join,” she said.

She added that non-Jewish members often take part in activities such as the club’s annual mitzvah marathon, a weeklong challenge focused on completing acts of kindness. 

While Hillel offers a student-led, relaxed environment, Chabad of Oneonta, located at 71 Chestnut Street, provides a more traditional approach grounded in ritual and education. Rabbi Meir Rubashkin, who leads Chabad of Oneonta, described his role as encompassing education, organization and community leadership. 

“The trick is to find the common denominator,” Rubashkin said when discussing how he works with students from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds. “At the end of the day, we are all part of the same family.” 

Rubashkin said creating a welcoming atmosphere is especially important for college students who may be navigating questions of identity and belonging. 

“Programs that make people feel like they have a home, that is what resonates most,” he said. 

Passover, he explained, is central to that mission.

“It is the birth of the Jewish people,” Rubashkin said. “It is about going from limitation to freedom, not just historically, but personally.”

He added that the holiday encourages reflection, self-examination and meaningful questions about personal growth. 

This year, Chabad will host multiple Passover events for students, including two traditional Seders—one on campus on April 1 and another at the Chabad center on April 2—as well as daily kosher-for-Passover meals open to all students. The kosher meals are available in SUNY Oneonta’s My Kitchen throughout Passover, from April 2-9. 

“Everyone is invited,” Rubashkin said. “We want it to be a positive, uplifting experience.” 

For students celebrating away from home, campus Passover observances can be both meaningful and bittersweet. 

“It is definitely hard knowing my family is all together at home,” Yanover said, “but I also know I have a whole other family here.” 

Smith agreed, noting that Passover celebrations at SUNY Oneonta differ from what she experiences with her family but offer their own rewards. 

“It is more formal, and there are more people,” she said. “But it is so fun to do it together.” 

Beyond individual events, both Hillel and Chabad aim to give students a lasting sense of identity, continuity, and community. 

“I hope students take away friendship and knowledge,” Smith said. “I hope they find their sense of belonging.” 

Yanover echoed that sentiment.

“I just want everyone to know they have somebody, that they have a whole community and family here,” she said.

As Passover begins, Jewish life in Oneonta continues to be shaped by that shared commitment to connection, tradition, and inclusivity, offering students a place to gather, reflect, and celebrate together. 

This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.