About 30 students gathered in Usdan 110 on March 2 to celebrate the coming of Purim by making hamantaschen. The triangular cookies are filled with a sweet filling, usually made of poppy seeds, and are traditionally eaten during the Purim holiday, which begins on the evening of March 4. Matt Renetzky ’18 and Rabbi Levi Schectman (pictured) organized the event through Chabad at Wesleyan along with help from Elli Scharlin ’18 and Aaron Josephs ’18.
“We held the event as a way for students to get together to celebrate the holiday as a community,” Renetzky noted. “It was great, a nice intimate and exciting positive environment which served as a nice break to midterms stress. …Both Jews and non-Jews alike came by to make some Hamantaschen and learn about why we make them in the first place. I’d say the event was definitely a success.”“Making hamantaschen from scratch is surprisingly simple, even for people like me who have no baking skills but still want to connect to a yummy tradition,” Rebecca Seidel ’15 said. “It was a great way to take a break from midterms while feeling a bit closer to home.”Chabad at Wesleyan is part of the international Chabad movement, which aims to engage Jews of various backgrounds with Judaism.Officially established in 2011, the Wesleyan group provides various social, educational, recreational, and religious programs for both students and faculty. The group is run by Rabbi Schectman and his wife, Chanie Schectman, along with their three children. Among the programs offered are Monday night Talmud classes, weekly Tuesday lunches, “Coffee and Kabbalah” on Wednesday evenings, and regular Shabbat dinners.Completing the hamantaschen.
Learn more about Chabad at Wesleyan online. (Photos by Dat Vu ’15. Info by Lily Baggott ’15)
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Jeff Harder