The tables will already be set up at the Chabad-Lubavitch center in Skokie, Ill., by the time Shabbat comes in. After the close of the holy day, as night ushers in the eight-day holiday of Passover, timers will turn on the food warmers. By the time the participants have explored the Haggadah and gotten to the section featuring the main meal, the food will be hot.

All in all, the preparations are not all that different from the thousands of other Chabad Houses worldwide, but Rabbi Yochanan Posner, director of adult education at the center, says that they’ll be offering Skokians a new twist this year.

“Many of those who first came to a Seder at Chabad House,” he explains proudly, “are now conducting their own Seder at home and inviting others in the community to come join them.”

However, since the latter group still wants the communal experience, the Skokie center will be hosting a Seder geared toward beginners the first night of Passover, and an advanced Seder, to delve deeper into the sub-texts of the Haggadah, the second night. Everyone, though, is welcome at both of them.

“Beginners enjoy the text of the Haggadah and its basic commentaries,” says Posner. “But once they are experts in the text and are conducting the Seder, they want to see how everything connects.”

The rabbi says that many guests will come to the second Seder “prepared with questions.”

He referenced the Seder mentioned in the Haggadah, which was attended by several sages and lasted all night.

Says Posner of his community members: “They want to be able to have a Seder like they had in Bnei Brak.”