PASSOVER
46 | APRIL 14 • 2022
V
icki Back, raised on a Missouri
farm, did not get to know
Jewish community members
until moving to Bloomfield Hills.
One friendly neighbor continues to
be Elaine Sturman, whose
commitments have includ-
ed membership in Temple
Israel and Temple Beth El
while serving in leader-
ship roles for Hadassah of
Greater Detroit and the
Jewish Ensemble Theatre
(JET).
Raising children in the
same age ranges, the women
became close; and Sturman
invited the Back family to
a seder filled with some 40
relatives and friends. That
welcoming gesture placed the Sturmans
among a number of Metro Detroit
Jewish families who have asked guests of
other faiths to join Passover celebrations.
“I had never been to a seder or even
heard of it, but we just went,” recalled
Back, who appreciated the content of the
Haggadah. “We were totally open-mind-
ed and found it super interesting — the
different foods, traditions and reading of
prayers.
“We enjoyed seeing what was going
on, and everybody was very nice. They
knew we weren’t Jewish and tried to
include us and explain things. We
observed and enjoyed it.
“I think it’s wonderful for people of
different faiths to share customs. It’s a
learning experience that broadens every-
body’s life.”
Besides enjoying the Back family as
guests, Sturman enjoyed taking her
young children to Christmas displays at
the church where the Back family wor-
ships and, much later, being a guest at a
christening of a Back grandchild.
“I have a lot of non-Jewish friends,
and I like them to see our traditions,”
Sturman said. “I like to see their tradi-
tions. I used to do seders at a Catholic
church in Grosse Pointe, and we used a
very well-written Haggadah as an expla-
nation of what a seder is.
“Knowledge makes us closer.”
SHARING TRADITIONS
Sharing knowledge also is important
to Diane Alvin of Huntington Woods
and Nancy Adair of Royal Oak, who
met through participation
in tennis activities. Alvin
includes Adair in seders,
and Adair includes Alvin for
Christmas meals.
Alvin grew up in an
extended Toledo family
having large seders similar
to ones hosted by her late
husband’s family in Michigan, but as
Local families open their doors to non-Jewish friends for Pesach.
A Seat at the Seder Table
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Vicki Back
Elaine
Sturman
Nancy
Adair