JCRB|AJC and partner organizations Avodah, SevenDays, Jewish Vocational Services, and Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, welcomed nearly 200 guests to the 2022 Unity Seder on March 29.
The celebration brought interfaith partners from across the region together to share in the Jewish Passover Seder ritual. The goal of the event was to further build bridges and foster greater understanding between different communities by reaffirming the shared commitments to the pursuit of justice and liberation.
“The Passover seder, at its core, is a story of freedom from oppression,” JCRB|AJC Executive Director Gavriela Geller said. “We come together to tell this ancient story while also recognizing that there is much work to be done together to create a world in which all are truly free.”
Geller said the Unity Seder allows the Jewish community “to share our traditions and rituals with our friends from all different faiths, affirming our commitment to one another and to our shared values.”
A reimagined Haggadah with a focus on liberation and justice was used during the seder, and 36 interfaith and community partners participated as speakers. To accompany each of the Four Cups, four Kansas City community leaders shared their answers to the question, “For what do we seek liberation from today?”
Inas Younis spoke about liberation for the Muslim community, Manny Abarca IV spoke about the Latino community, Justice Horn spoke about the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, and Hoang-Anh Tran spoke about the AAPI community.
Hazzan Tahl Ben-Yehuda led everyone in song throughout the seder. At the end, everyone stood up and held hands while singing “We Shall Overcome.”
The last in-person Unity Seder was held in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19, and last year’s program was held virtually. This year’s event was at capacity, indicating that people were very much excited to gather again in person.
The tables were full of elected officials, interfaith clergy members, school administrators and business leaders. Throughout the seder, guests had the opportunity to participate in answering dialogue questions about personal identity, family stories, and hopes for their community’s liberation.
Numerous guests expressed how meaningful they found the experience and how much they enjoyed connecting with others at their table. One attendee reflected that the event “was a powerful reminder and experience of ancient Jewish traditions that connect generations in celebration of liberation. It was very uplifting to stand united in defense of freedom and promotion of understanding, justice and healing.”
In keeping with one aspect of last year’s virtual program, the event also featured video messages from Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Roger Marshall, Representative Emmanuel Cleaver, Representative Sharice Davids, Mayor Quinton Lucas, and Israel Consul General Elbaz-Starinsky.
The event was made possible by the support of James Uhlmann; United Methodist Church of the Resurrection; Irv Belzer and Sue McCord-Belzer; Kristen Fromm; Barry Kaseff and Lynne Melcher; Howard and Vicky Mayer; Patricia Werthan Uhlmann; Michael Abrams; Alice and David Jacks Achtenberg; Judge Stephen Bough and Councilwoman Andrea Bough; Stevi and Jeffrey Brick; Lights On Kansas City; Rockhurst University; Lisa and Ken Schifman; and Sheila and Ken Sonnenschein.
