Gle nn Tries t
Growing
numbers of
Detroit
Christians
are preparing
a Passover
seder
Roots Of Faith
ELLYCE FIELD
Special to The Jewish News
T
Pastor Barry R. Osterbur of Cross Lutheran Church in Fraser
at the Jewish Community Council's model Seder.
hinking about her last
Passover Seder, Ester
Roberts vividly recalls the
dishes. "I was in the kitchen
all night! There were so many dis-
hes. Everything was on a different
dish!"
Margaret Birney was surprised
at the Seder's length. "We followed
the book. Everyone had a copy. It
took us at least three hours to
finish."
, Roberts and Birney are among
a growing - number of Christians
who, at this time of year, host
Passover Seders in their homes and
churches.
Several years ago, Roberts was
.
asked by the assistant pastor at her
Catholic church, Our Lady of
Grace, to organize a parish Seder.
"It was quite an ordeal. We filled
our hall with families. Five or six
of us women took over — cooking,
setting up, serving and washing.
We had beef and lamb as main
courses, and all the special foods. I
particularly remember the matzah
and wine."
Birney, a Christadelphian
with a very good knowledge of the
Old Testament," wanted to experi-
ence the Jewish Seder. She invited
ten adults, friends and family, and
made the Seder as authentic as
possible. At that time, I was work-
ing with many Jewish people and
they helped me with the recipes
and ideas."
Oscar Ice, spokesperson for De-
troit's Interfaith Round Table of
the National Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews, senses the Chris-
tian community's growing interest
in hosting Seders. 'There are ef-
forts to understand the Jewish
Seder, as part of our worship con-
text and our old. Testament roots.
But it's not heavily organized."
- Dexter Cheney, diocesan ad-
ministrator of the Episcopal
Church, agrees with Ice. "There are
probably as many as half a dozen
Seders within the Episcopal diocese
every season. We recognize our
Jewish roots. We have weekly Old
Testament readings and acknowl-
edge the Passover dinner as the
source of our Holy Communion."
The Jewish Community Coun-
cil and Temple Emanu-El's Rabbi
Lane Steinger recognized the grow-
ing interest within the Christian
community. "For many years, the
Council received multiple requests
for rabbis to visit churches and
conduct model Seders," Miriam
Schey, Council community affairs
associate remembers. "It was be-
coming too difficult for the rabbis
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