Wet Hot American Passover

Pizza and a movie might sound like the makings of a low-key weekend night. But when the pizza is made from matzah and the movie is a cult classic about hook-ups at a Jewish summer camp, things start to get interesting.

Such was the case last Saturday night when the Harvard Reform Minyan, a prayer community at Harvard Hillel, hosted a screening of “Wet Hot American Summer” to provide Passover-observing students with a kosher-friendly study break, complete with matzah pizza, Havdalah prayers, live guitar, and plenty of Manischewitz wine.

Jaclyn B. Granick ’08, Harvard Reform Minyan’s membership chair, described matzah pizza as a popular snack made from layers of tomato sauce, cheese, and vegetables on matzah.

“Even at regular meals, the only thing the dining hall gives you is a box of matzah. There’s one kosher Passover study break that Harvard Hillel hosts, but this is the only other thing outside of mealtime that Harvard Hillel offers,” she said.

Granick and Reform Minyan Social Co-Chair Seth R. Flaxman ’08, the matzah pizza chefs themselves, were careful to remind attendees that their tasty delicacies were made in the Dunster Grill—not exactly the ideal kosher kitchen. However, after reassurance that the pizza contained no “non-kosher-or-Passover” ingredients, students wasted no time in consuming the religiously acceptable snack.

Flaxman, also the vice president for community relations at Harvard Hillel, explained the choice of movie: “It’s basically about Jewish summer camping—that’s something that a lot of people have as a shared background.”

And seeing as the characters of “Wet Hot American Summer” get more ass than the average Harvard student, FM can see why anyone would want to relive such a summer camp experience. Throw in the pizza, and it’s a perfect (and kosher-friendly) Saturday night.