The Easter festivities on the Arava Institute campus were put together by some of the Christian students who introduced some of their familial traditions, and taught the history of the holiday. Activities were organized in a rotation in small groups to respect the current social distancing guidelines in Israel.
There were three Easter themed stations. The first station was to create Resurrection Rolls, a croissant-type pastry with a marshmallow inside. The pastry represents the tomb and the marshmallow represents Jesus, and when baked, the marshmallow disappears just as Jesus did in the tomb.
The second station was painting and dying eggs. Some eggs were hard boiled, while some had been blown out to remove the egg from the shell, and all were painted or dyed in the classic Easter tradition.
The third station was a talk on the history of Easter and the meanings behind the current traditions. From the Easter bunny and chocolate to the story of Jesus Christ, this talk gave those who do not celebrate Easter an understanding of the holiday. To top off the night students went on three separate Easter egg hunts.
After the event was over people responded very positively to the activities which they dubbed “very fun!”. In a time of uncertainty and distancing, it was wonderful to bring people together in small groups to learn something they might not have independently, and also just have some fun.
Submitted by Victoria A. Zieminski
Also: Read about this spring’s Passover and Ramadan celebrations on the Arava Institute campus
