As the sun set last night, marking the arrival of Passover, Jewish students who were unable to go home began finding ways to celebrate and observe the holiday in State College.

While the Penn State Hillel offers students a place to enjoy the customary Passover meal for the duration of the holiday, some Jewish students will look for additional sources.

Passover celebrates the Jews' exodus from Egypt, where they were enslaved. The holiday is celebrated with a service at home and a meal called a Seder, which is traditionally observed for the first two nights.

As soon as Passover begins, and for the week it lasts, there are meticulous dietary restrictions, the biggest being no consumption of bread products such as pasta and cereal, or of foods such as rice and corn products.

"It's really difficult to find food that's kosher for Passover," Melissa Scheiner (sophomore-economics and women's studies) said. Scheiner said being a student living in East Halls on a meal plan makes it even harder.

"I know McElwain has kosher meals, but it's only open during specific hours and not at all on the weekends," she said.

Jo-Ann Marker, McElwain dining hall manager, said McElwain is offering a buffet with an assortment of kosher-style foods, including fish and chicken, hot vegetables, Matzah crackers, cottage cheese and macaroon cookies.

Marker said that although all of the dining halls on campus offer some special foods that are kosher for Passover, McElwain offers the greatest amount and selection because it is the most centrally located dining hall on campus.

However, many students choose to purchase kosher-for-Passover foods off campus. Scheiner said she was disappointed this year by the lack of kosher food in stock at local grocery stores.

"If you don't have a car, it's impossible to go looking around at different grocery stores to find what you need," she said.

Jim French, store manager at McLanahan's Downtown Market, 116 S. Allen St., said the store did not carry any specific Passover foods this year.

"Last year, we tried having a lot of traditional Passover foods, but it didn't pan out," he said.

Many students look to Hillel, one of Penn State's Jewish student groups, to provide them with a traditional Seder.

"Unfortunately, the reality is that the Hillel doesn't have the capacity to serve meals for more than 150 people at once. The kitchen isn't big enough," said Tuvia Abramson, Hillel executive director.

Hillel hosted its Seder last night.

The Chabad House: Jewish Student Center is also hosting Seders this week at the Chabad House, 324 E. Prospect Ave.

"We have Seder to commemorate when we left Egypt 3,000 years ago. We eat certain symbolic foods and go through the story of what happened," said Sarah Meretsky, who runs the Chabad House Jewish Student Center with her husband, Rabbi Nosson Meretsky.

If students do not wish to attend Seders sponsored by community groups, Abramson said they could try to recreate the feeling of being at home by holding Seders themselves. "The grocery stores carry items that are kosher for Passover, and students can use them to create a wonderful meal," he said. "Of course, they'll have to cook it themselves."