More than 150 students at Arizona State University gathered last week for the annual Passover Seder hosted by Jewish organization Chabad at ASU, marking the end of the eight-day holiday with tradition, food and community.

Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the exodus of the Jews out of captive Egypt during the time of Moses in The Bible, and falls during the Hebrew calendar dates of Nissan 15 to 22. Members of ASU’s Jewish community celebrated with handmade matzah, or unleavened bread, and retellings of the Passover story to reflect on the holiday’s message of freedom and liberation.

“It is a time to reflect on what it means to be free; what it means to be a Jew,” said Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel, director and founder of Chabad at ASU.

The organization hosted two gourmet Seder dinners for students and their families, following a 15-step ritual that included blessing wine, reading, eating symbolic foods and retelling the story of Passover, which is one of the main commandments of Passover, according to Tiechtel.

The Seder is a ceremonial meal observed after nightfall on the first night of Passover, according to the Chabad at ASU website. Passover ran from April 12 to April 20 this year.

At Chabad at ASU, it is also an opportunity to celebrate with the Jewish community.

“The atmosphere is super welcoming and very lively and educational and fun,” said Aleeza Feffer, a junior at ASU. “Everyone was just excited to be there, and it was like one big family.”

Another ASU junior, Leora Gadd, said the atmosphere at campus Seders is fun and interactive because of the staff at the Chabad.

“Basically, it’s just a bunch of Jewish people together celebrating something that our ancestors have celebrated, and we’ve celebrated, for generations… and then we’re now at college, so we all just do it together,” Gadd said. “It feels like family; you might not know the person next to you, but it feels like they’re at your house and you’re celebrating with them. It’s really special.”

Passover and its observance hold more for these students than just tradition by allowing them to reflect on their personal lives and what they want to improve.

“Personally, I think of Passover as a time to reset and break free from anything that might be holding me back,” Feffer said.

Similarly, Gadd said retelling the Passover story each year, about the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt, helps her reflect on her own challenges and consider what may have been controlling her life over the past year.

“Am I too focused on, like, making sure my schoolwork is absolutely perfect? Or am I spending too much time on my phone?” Gadd listed as examples. “What is my personal Egypt? What is my personal struggles that I can take into the year, trying to focus on?”

Tiechtel said he also sees students connect with the symbolism of the Seder meal and reflect upon the history and how it personally connects to them.

“I hope students walk away from Passover at Chabad and know that being Jewish is a gift,” Tiechtel said. “I hope they feel the joy of being part of a Jewish community, of the possibilities, what it means to be free, and also have a great time.”

Tiechtel added the Passover message of freedom and resilience can resonate with anyone, regardless of religious background.

“Each and every individual can have that mindset of being free, of letting go of whatever is holding you back from being who you truly are,” he said. “There’s nothing stopping us.”

Feffer and Gadd echoed that idea and said what message they would share with the wider community about the significance of Passover.

“I would say that the main significance of Passover is the idea that everyone, every day, has to leave their own Egypt, which means leave their own personal boundaries or whatever they feel might be holding them back, and come to the day with a new perspective and realize that they can accomplish anything,” Feffer said. “Especially if you look at it from a religious perspective, if you think that, and know that God is on your side, he’s going to help you get through anything that you need to. And if you have resilience, you will get through it all,”

“I think the idea of taking a moment to realize, ‘Oh, what am I struggling with? What is my personal Egypt? What can I do this year that will help me for the next year?’ or ‘What am I letting control my life?’ I think it’s a special idea to look at. Not just for Jewish people, I think people in general,” Gadd said.