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NEWS MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN KANSAN.COM
INTERNATIONAL
G-8 will discuss Iran's nuclear weapons
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OTTAWA — Iran's nuclear program is of "critical concern" and will top the agenda when foreign ministers from the Group of Eight nations meet today to discuss global security. Canada's foreign minister said.
Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said he'll press for stiffer sanctions against Iran when G-8 ministers assemble in Gatineau, Quebec for the meeting which begins tonight and continues through Tuesday.
The United States and its Western allies have been pushing for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful means only, but Western powers believe the country is working to produce an atomic weapon.
left with little choice but to pursue additional sanctions against Iran ideally through the United Nations Security Council," Cannon said.
"Unfortunately I believe we are
Cannon said he'll discuss with
his G-8 colleagues what they can do to put additional pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear enrichment activities and convince them to return to the negotiating table.
ence is key because it has close commercial ties with Tehran and has used its position as a vetowielding permanent U.N. Security Council member to water down
U. S. Secretary of State Hillary
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday imposing more sanctions is not the best option, but cannot be excluded.
Western-backed sanctions.
Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be attending the meeting that comes just days after their countries struck a landmark agreement cutting their nuclear arsenals by a third.
Lavrov said recently that Iran was allowing an opportunity for mutually beneficial dialogue with the West to "skip away" Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday imposs-
Russia's position at the confer-
ing more sanctions is not the best option, but cannot be excluded.
The G-8 meeting of foreign ministers precedes June's G-8 summit uniting world leaders in Huntsville, Ontario that will also focus on non-economic issues like nuclear proliferation.
POLITICS
Barbara Bush still in hospital for tests
HOUSTON — Former first lady Barbara Bush remains hospitalized in Houston, where she's undergoing what a family spokeswoman describes as routine tests.
Spokeswoman Jean Becker said Sunday that Bush has not been diagnosed with anything and doctors aren't looking for anything specific.
Former President George H.W. Bush drove his wife to Methodist Hospital on Saturday morning. Becker said earlier that the former first lady hadn't been feeling well for about a week, and
doctors suggested she "undergo a battery of tests."
Mrs. Bush underwent heart surgery in March 2009, for a severe narrowing of the main heart valve. She also was hospitalized in November 2008, when she underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer.
Associated Press
Exploring the traditions and meaning of Passover
RELIGION
The holiday begins tomorrow, continues until April 5
BY ROSHNI OOMMEN roommen@kansan.com
roommen@kansan.com
WHAT IS PASSOVER?
Passover is an eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the freedom of the Jewish nation from enslavement in Egypt. Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel of the KU Chabad House said the freedom of the Jews from Egypt was miraculous.
"In a sense, that's when we began as a people," Tiechtel said. "For every Jewish person — it's common around the world — Passover is a popular holiday. The idea is that we celebrate today in society what it means to be free people."
"Passover means a lot to me," David Katz, a senior from Leawood, said. "People come together, your family comes together. Every religion has a well-known story. Passover is our well-known story. Not only does the public know about it, but we're doing it together."
WHEN IS PASSOVER?
Stephanie Heyden, a freshman from Harrisburg, Pa., Molly Risien, a freshman from Overland Park and Wendi Albert, a freshman from Memphis, Tenn., peel maror in preparation for Passover Seder, a Passover night service replicating the events of the exodus. Maror, or bitter herbs, are served in remembrance of the bitterness of the Israelite's slavery in Egypt.
Deborah Fraser/KANSAN
According to the calendar, Passover begins Tuesday and will continue until April 5. But Tiechtel said the celebration of Passover really begins the evening before, so the first Passover candle will be lit tonight.
HOW IS PASSOVER CELEBRATED?
Tiechtel described Passover as the "Jewish Thanksgiving," meaning many Jews gather in large family settings. Because the first days of this year's Passover is in the middle of the week, Tiechtel said there will be special celebrations and ceremonies for students who are unable to go home.
"That's why we do what we do," Tiechtel said. "We make it similar to a home setting — it's their home away from home."
During the first two nights of Passover, there is a Seder, which is a large meal that includes the retelling of the Passover story.
On Seder nights, jews traditionally drink four
cups of wine or grape juice with the meal. Tiechtel said wine was a drink of loyalty, and each of the cups symbolize God's promises to the Jewish people.
Katz said his family's celebration of Passover was different from the traditional Passover celebration. When he was growing up, his grandmother, who had a love for education, decided that she wanted to make the tradition and history of Passover more meaningful for the family. She began putting different children in the family in charge of teaching the family about a different plague on Egypt during the exile of the Jews.
WHAT DO PEOPLE EAT DURING PASSOVER?
"Because of this," Tieethel said, "We clean our homes spotlessly to make sure there's not even a crumb of leaved food we may accidentally eat."
One of the foods eaten during Passover is Matza, a flat, unleavened bread.
Many observers of Passover also eat bitter herbs, onions or parsley dipped in salt-water. Tiechtel said this was meant to allow the observers of Passover to taste the pain and suffering their ancestors faced.
"When the Jews left Egypt in such a rush to be free," Tiechtel said, "they didn't have time to wait for the bread to rise. Because of this, we eat matza. We have handmade matza brought here from Israel, so we can have a taste of the holy land."
Throughout the week, observers of Passover don't eat any leavened foods, including cakes or cookies.
"We want to relive the experience, and relive the history, and make it relevant to today," Tiechtel said.
Katz said his family also ate a food called Charoset, a paste made of apples, nuts and other fruits.
Deborah Fraser/KANSAN
Matzah, cracker-like bread, is served during the Passover Seder, symbolizing the bread baked by the Jewish people who left to follow God into the desert. They left Egypt with such haste that their bread did not have time to rise.
Edited by Ashley Montgomery