OU Hillel celebrated the first night of Passover on Monday night with more participation than previous years, according to a Hillel member.

Danielle Robinson, history senior and Hillel member, said there was more student involvement, an overall trend in OU Hillel.

The increase is a result of the efforts of Karen Ayalon, OU Hillel’s new director, who has placed less of an emphasis on the religious aspects of the organization and more on the community atmosphere.

Hillel is a centerpiece for the entire Jewish community in Norman due to the lack of a synagogue, said Zach Moorhead, Hillel religious programming chairman.

“Hillel serves one, so it’s not just students, you have members of the community attend the Seder,” said Moorhead, mechanical engineering junior.

Glenn Fretz, local history teacher, attended this ceremony.

Fretz said it is important to remember history in order to move on.

“Without our history we don’t have roots and the foundation of a house starts with those roots,” he said.

Moorhead explained the significance of the Passover ceremony at OU Hillel.

The night’s ceremonies — the Passover Seder, which means commandment — are scripted by the Haggadah, an ancient Jewish book that prescribes every detail of the event, Moorhead said.

It begins with reciting the Kiddush, he said, which is a blessing of the first of four cups of beverages to be blessed during the event. Then, the hands are ceremonially washed.

Next, the Matzah (unleavened bread) is broken and a small portion known as the Afikoman is hidden for the children to find, Moorhead said.

The Four Questions are then asked, which are about the nature and purpose of the night’s events, as presented from the perspectives of the Wise Son, the Contrary Son, the Simple Son, and the Son Who Does Not Even Know How to Ask. In response to the questions, the story of Passover is read.

The hands are washed again and after another blessing the core meal is served, consisting of hardboiled eggs, lamb shank (Hillel used chicken in its place), Matzah bread, horseradish known as Marror, saltwater and carpas, each of which have significance to the story of Passover, he said.

The meal cannot be complete without another blessing, Moorhead said, which cannot be preformed without the children first finding the Afikoman. he Children often use this technicality as a bargaining chip to negotiate for things they want, said Yosef Arviv, former Hillel board member.

After the final blessing, a series of joyful psalms known as the Hallel are sung and the ceremony is concluded.

Event Coordinator Yaron Ayalon said students were responsible for preparing much of the food.