passover
Seder
BARBARA LEWIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Temple Israel
hosts social
justice seder
for diverse
group of
women.
Freedom Seder place setting and Haggadah
32
April 13 • 2017
A
t the Passover seder,
Jews all over the world
celebrate their freedom
from Egypt more than 3,000
years ago.
At Temple Israel’s Freedom
Seder on March 28, more than
100 women expressed wishes
that all people enjoy freedom.
Using a Haggadah for Justice
compiled by Rabbi Jennifer
Kaluzny, participants focused
on worldwide social justice for
all.
This was the second Freedom
Seder organized by Temple
Israel’s Sisterhood. Last year,
they invited women from
Hartford Memorial Baptist
Church in Detroit. This year,
in addition to the Hartford
women, Sisterhood member
Gail Katz invited some Muslim
women active in interfaith
efforts in Metro Detroit. A rep-
resentative of Alternatives for
Girls, a Detroit nonprofit, also
attended.
Several guests spoke about
their personal struggles for
freedom from oppression.
Parwin Anwar of Sterling
Heights, a member of the
Islamic Organization of
North America, described her
escape from Russian-occupied
Afghanistan to Pakistan more
than 20 years ago. Six months
pregnant, she, with her hus-
band and two small children,
jn
joined a group of 18 who
let the world know that bigots
walked 150 miles to safety over
could not control my mind.
mountains. Her third child
God made us in his image. By
was born after they arrived in
the grace of God, I am what I
Pakistan. It was eight
am.”
ABOVE:
months before her
Kaluzny’s Haggadah
Participants
family could come to
reimagined
several parts
at the Freedom
the U.S., even though
of
the
traditional
seder
Seder at
her father and brother
to
focus
on
social
justice.
Temple Israel.
had been living here
In describing matzah as
for years.
the “bread of affliction,”
The Rev. Cecilia
the Haggadah noted that
Holliday, social pastor
every day, 25,000 people
at Hartford Memorial,
worldwide die from hun-
talked about her
ger and malnutrition.
struggles to overcome
The Four Children,
racial prejudice. She
traditionally described
described an elemen-
as wise, defiant, simple
Parwin Anwar
tary school teacher
and unable to ask, were
who would always
updated as the Activist
give her lower grades
child, who asks how to
than her white friend,
follow God’s command
even when her work
to pursue justice; the
was better. One day,
Skeptical child, who asks
she and her friend
how one can solve prob-
switched papers and,
lems of such enormity;
when the friend again
the Indifferent child
got a higher grade,
who says it’s not her
Rev. Cecilia
Holliday
they told the teacher
responsibility; and the
what they had done.
Uninformed child who
In high school, Holliday
does not know how to ask.
had to cope with a teacher
Guests enjoyed a catered
who called her and her black
meal augmented by Passover
classmates “pickaninnies.” The
kugels, casseroles and desserts
teacher was eventually disci-
prepared by Sisterhood mem-
plined.
bers.
“I got a B in that class when
After dinner, they made
I earned an A, but I felt OK
cards and packed gift bags
because I had stood up for
with donated socks, cosmet-
myself,” Holliday said. “I had to
ics and hair accessories for
PHOTOS BY ADAM SANNO
Freedom
clients at Alternatives for Girls,
an agency on the west side of
Detroit that provides shelter
and support services for girls
and young women ages 15-21.
Deena Policicchio, director of
outreach and education ser-
vices, thanked the women for
their support.
Sue Birndorf, a psychologist
who lives in Detroit, said the
Haggadah used at the Freedom
Seder awakened her to the idea
that we need to be more open
to other people.
“I realized it’s fear [of people
unlike ourselves] that drives
us apart,” she said. “When I sit
next to an amazing woman and
hear her speak, my fears just fly
away.”
Barbara Schultz of Farming-
ton Hills also enjoyed meeting
diverse women. “We learned
about our likenesses and cel-
ebrated our differences,” she
said. “I’m proud that Temple
Israel did such a program.”
The Freedom Seder com-
mittee included Wendy
Kohlenberg, Temple Israel
Sisterhood president; Rabbis
Ariana Gordon, Marla Hornsten,
Jennifer Kaluzny and Jen
Lader; Laila Cohen, Gail Katz,
Lauren Marcus Johnson, Linda
Mickelson, Diane Okun, Randi
Sakwa, Marilyn Schalberg and
Carolyn Wiener. •