The beginning of the month of Nissan marks not only the start of spring, but the arrival of Passover, or Pesach. Pesach begins at sundown on the 5th of April and ends in the evening of April 13th. As we gather with families and loved ones, Jews around the world will celebrate and commemorate the exodus from ancient Egypt and the liberation from slavery. In just over one week, we will follow Moses as he is guided by God’s commandments to lead the Hebrews out of slavery and into freedom.
Pesach represents a time of change, of rebirth, and of liberation. Last Monday, Tribe 12 was lucky to be a part of the Freedom Seder Revisited held at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. First held in 1969 on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, the Freedom Seder was open to people of all different backgrounds. The Seder held at the Weitzman Museum was not a typical Seder. Instead, local artists, activists, clergy, and musicians were encouraged to share their stories–embracing the Pesach theme of “welcoming the stranger.”
Arthur Waskow, who wrote the original Freedom Seder Haggadah in 1969, attended the museum’s Seder, emphasizing the importance of ensuring liberty and justice for all people of the world. As Rabbi Joachim Prinz stated in his speech at the historic March on Washington in 1963, “the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.” Pesach reminds us to be resilient in the face of adversity. And so to all of you, Tribe 12 wishes you chag sameach!!
– Kaitlyn Arms
Tribe 12 Feinstein Center for American Jewish History Intern
Continue reading to learn about Pesach events in Philly!!
April 5th – Grad Network Passover Seder
Join Grad Network on Wednesday April 5th to celebrate Passover at the Philadelphia Ethical Society! Early bird tickets are on sale until March 24th at $18. After March 24th tickets will be $25.
April 8th – Passover: A Journey Towards Liberation Seder
Join Tribe 12’s Lonnie Kleinman on April 8th in Mt. Airy for a Liberation Seder. Fill out the Google form linked above to receive more information about the Seder!
April 9th – J.Proud – LGBTQ Community Passover Seder
Join J.Proud, Tribe 12 and Germantown Jewish Center for our annual LGBTQ Passover seder! This event is a potluck – we will provide all ritual/seder plate items, and plates/utensils/etc. This event will be held from 4pm-6pm
