Aaron Kass, a senior business marketing major at Sacramento State who is Jewish, once wore a T-shirt with Hebrew writing on it to elementary school in Valencia. During recess, Kass took a hand ball away fromanother student he was playing with.

“Don’t be a Jew,” the other student said.

Kass’ childhood memory has stuck with him because it was the only time he’d ever felt discrimination for being Jewish. But it also reminds him of what he wants to accomplish as the president and founder of the Jewish Student Union at Sac State, which was created last spring.

“To be tolerant of people, you have to learn about them,” he said.

He has embraced his Jewish background his whole life through his mentor, his mother, who raised him on her own after his father passed away when he was a freshman in Hebrew high school. Kass joined a Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, while attending UC Davis for two years.

He said his mom always told him to be positive.

“To see how positive she is in light of what happened – I strive to be that way,” he said.

But Kass hesitated when he transferred to Sac State in the fall of 2005 when the Davis and Sacramento chapter of Hillel, thelargest Jewish campus organization in the world, asked him to create a Jewish club on campus. Hillel seeks to empower Jewish students to explore their identity, participate in Jewish activities and learn or attend religious services.

Not only was Kass not living in Sacramento at the time, but he found that some students, even Jewish students, told him that creating a Jewish club could never work.There were already failed attempts at a Jewish club in the past, he said. He had trouble finding interested students because most commute to Sac State, he said.

“It was tough starting a minority religion club on campus when we are already a minority,” Kass said.

After a year of trying, he moved to Sacramento, found a handful of interested members and reapplied to become an official club.

Initially, students did not show up to events. But Kass said Hillel, which is stationed in Davis, has always been supportive of the JSU and has been the main funding source for JSU events.

Zak Davis, program director for Hillel,said trying to create a Jewish organization at Sac State has been an experience where youfeel like you get knocked down and you have to jump back on.

“Aaron has actually been great in using those as lessons to maybe do things a little differently,” Davis said.

Kass’ biggest reward from his work is knowing that he created something fromnothing, which now gives him the chance to see other Jewish students interact. He also said it’s nice to share his culture withthe community.

Passover, a celebration and remembrance of the Jewish exile from slavery in Egypt, was from April 2 to 10. The word comes from the story of the Angel of Death, which “passed over” the homes of Jews when it was slaying the firstborn son because the Egyptian pharaoh didn’t set the Jews free. It is also a remembrance of when God gave the Jews theTen Commandments, Kass said.

Hillel held its yearly seder, a dinner that provides appetizers that symbolize slavery and freedom, on April 2.

For example, bitter herbs such as horseradish are eaten that symbolize thebitterness and harshness of slavery underthe pharaoh, Davis said.

Jews are also forbidden from eating any type of leavened bread or grain products during Passover. During the seder, they eat Matzo, an unleavened, cracker-like bread produced without yeast. It symbolizes the idea that Jews were leaving Egypt in such a hurry after the pharaoh granted them freedom they did not have time to let their bread rise, Kass said.

“The gist of this holiday is about eating,”Kass said. “We try to encompass all the senses, and food can hit a lot of them, like taste, smell and touch.”

Aseder is usually celebrated with family, but many students who are away for college can’t celebrate with their families, Kass said. Stephanie Sandler, a sophomore English major from Los Angeles, made attendees at Hillel’s seder her family this year.

“It’s a good way to find friends,”Sandler said.

Jewish students and professors said there are many benefits to having a Jewish club on campus and are supportive of Kass’ attempt to maintain a club.

Amber Rasmusen, a senior dietetics major from Truckee, gives credit to the JSU and Hillel for meeting other Jews.

“I wouldn’t know anyone who is Jewish in Sacramento otherwise,” she said.

Rachel Robinson, a junior theatre major, said having a Jewish organization helps her maintain her culture.

“It’s easy to lose touch with your religionwhen you are off at college,” Robinson said. “Most other religious groups haverepresentation, but we don’t.”

Kass has said to Davis that by the time he graduates this fall, he wants to have theclub set up and be self-maintaining andself-sustaining.

The JSU’s next event will be a comedy show on May 3 featuring a half-Jewish comedian and a Taiwanese comedian.

Kass’ goal for this event is to get comedians from different cultures to performto show that even though people are different, they can all still laugh together.

Assistant professor of communication studies David Zuckerman said Kass is a dedicated person, and the Jewish club can represent the diversity of Sac State.

“He and the organization are creating programs that show bridges between Jews and other people in the world,” Zuckerman said.

What keeps Kass motivated is the support and simple appreciation he is getting from the Jewish faculty on campus and the future students who he hopes to get involved.

Kass said he takes his mom’s advice that success means doing something you enjoy doing, and for him, sharing his cultureis success.

“‘Mitzvah’ means good deeds. That’s what’s important. All that matters is that you are a good person and you do good for the world,” Kass said.

If you want to know more about the Jewish Student Union at Sac State, contact Aaron Kass at [email protected]. If you’re interested in joining or learning more aboutHillel, contact Zak Davis at [email protected]. Gia Vang can be reached [email protected]