Today the Jewish community begins the eight day religious tradition of Passover, a festival commemorating the escape of the Jews from Egypt.”Passover represents liberation after captivity and enslavement,” said Joseph Kohane, executive director for the Hillel Center. “This tradition is about remembrance.”During the eight-day festival, a strict diet is followed by everyone. Foods containing starch or grain are forbidden.”Passover is like an Independence Day for the Jewish community,” said Dan Chernick, 18, a freshman majoring in business. “It’s a reminder of freedom and renewal.”The Passover tradition is the most important holiday for the Jewish community. It represents Jewish life, tradition and history, Kohane said.”Memory is an important part of the Jewish religion,” Kohane said. “We hold on to the lessons we’ve learned from the past to be sure they don’t reoccur. History has taught us to be charitable and humane to all people.”Traditional Jewish cuisine is also an important part of this holiday because it represents their freedom and renewal from slavery, Kohane said.Matzah is a small wafer that replaces bread. It represents both servitude and redemption. According to Jewish history, God told the Jewish people to leave Egypt, which they did in such haste that the wafers were the only food that would cook quickly enough, Kohane said, citing scriptures of the Haggadah, which tell the story of the Jews’ escape.Maror, or bitter herbs, is also a symbolic food in the Jewish religion. The herbs represent the bitterness of life in slavery, he said.The aforementioned foods are a central part of Seder, the dinners served on the first and second night of Passover. During the meal, Jewish families re-enact scriptures from the Haggadah, Kohane said. “Passover has affected my life the same way it has affected millions of Jews,” Kohane said. “The holiday may only be eight days long, but the lessons I’ve learned from this tradition stay with me all year.”The Hillel Center will provide a Seder both Friday and Saturday night for students staying on campus over the weekend. Kohane will be leading the service during the dinner Friday night. Hillel will provide Jewish students with a kosher lunch and dinner the other six days of Passover.