As the Jewish community prepared to mark the start of Passover on Friday, a local soup kitchen opened its doors to anyone looking for a traditional Seder meal.

For the past three years, Masbia Soup Kitchen has served Passover dinner. This year, preparations included slicing apples, simmering chicken soup and plating Matzo.

Alexander Rapaport, who runs the soup kitchen, describes Passover as a celebration of freedom among Jewish people following their exodus from Egypt thousands of years ago. He says he wants everyone who comes in for Passover to feel like family and honor their history.

"It's very special to be able to do this for people," he says.

All of the food is donated by families and religious groups around the city, according to Rapaport. Over the past couple of weeks, he says, hundreds of people have picked up food from the soup kitchen to prepare their own Passover meals at home.