Sharing matzah
brings
blacks and Jews
together.

"I'm here because it's a
learning experience," she
said. "I think Passover is a
forerunner to Easter. I see it
as part of the Resurrection
process."
A special Haggadah en-
titled The Common Road to
Freedom captured the seder's
theme, said Rabbi David
Nelson, whose Congregation
Beth Shalom in Oak Park
hosted the seder.
A publication of the Re-
ligious Action Center of the
Union of American Hebrew
Congregations and the Cen-
tral Conference of American
Rabbis, the Haggadah
followed the text from The
New Union Haggadah, with
selections from African
American novels, such as
June Goodwin's Cry
Amandla, and quotations
from black heroes like Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We are convening this
seder to foster better under-
standing between our two
communities and to en-
courage dialogue between
blacks and Jews," said
William Nabers, president of
the South Oakland Chapter
of the NAACP.
"This event symbolizes our
mutual commitment to elim-
inate racism and anti-
Semitism."
During the service, blacks
and Jews took turns reading
from the special Haggadah's

selections. In this manner,
the audience was able to
move through the 14 stages
of the seder, Hebrew for
order.
About 10 children — black
and Jewish — stood in front
of the dais during Maggid,
the retelling of the exodus
from Egypt, while reciting
the Mah nish-tah-na, the
Four Questions.

"Passover
challenges us to
rededicate
ourselves to
fighting
oppression,
prejudice and
ignorance."
Linda Soberman

Ritchie Wallace, one of the
children who participated, ad-
mitted feeling a little ner-
vous about getting up in
front of hundreds of people.
"I haven't had to do it for
awhile," said Ritchie, who's,
already in the third grade.
His favorite part of the
seder is finding the
Afikomen, the half matzah
which is hidden away for
children to find after the
main meal.
"Most years, I have only

two chances to find it," Rit-
chie said. "This year, I have
three."
Linda Soberman, presi-
dent of the Michigan Region
board of the ADL, said the
seder was the result of an
ongoing black and Jews dia-
logue group which has met
monthly for more than a
year.
"Passover challenges us to
rededicate ourselves to
fighting oppression, pre-
judice and ignorance," she
said.
Mitcham Chapel's Rever-
end Barbara Anthony, who
led the seder along with
Rabbi Nelson and Cantor
Samuel Greenbaum, called
Passover a journey of faith.
"We have come here
together in an ecumenical
spirit," Reverend Anthony
said. "We may share the ex-
perience of bondage, but to-
day we have to fight against
drugs and alcohol and an
atmosphere of hatred."
Deborah Crawford, a
member of the NAACP,
hopes one day her four-year-
old daughter, Debrina, will
remember the night Jews
and blacks came together in
prayer.
"There have been so many
negative images about
blacks and Jews," Mrs.
Crawford said, "I hope this
night will create positive
ones."

❑

Children sing the
Four Questions.

The congregation follows the seder service.

THE OFTROIT JEWISH NEWS

57

