32 | JUNE 1 • 2023 

faces&places

P

owered by The Well, Friendseder 
is the Friendsgiving of Passover. It’s 
a time to gather with friends and 
family leading up to and throughout 
Passover to put your own unique spin on a 
holiday that’s all about gathering and telling 
stories. 
The Friendseder initiative is multifac-
eted, combining large-scale public events 
with home-hosted gatherings and oppor-
tunities for Jewish learning around the 
themes of Passover. This year, The Well 
partnered with Zingerman’s Delicatessen 
for the second annual Zingerman’s 
Friendseder Community Brunch, which 
took place on March 19 at the Greyline in 
Ann Arbor. Sixty participants attended the 
brunch, which consisted of a gourmet four-

course meal with mocktail and cocktail 
pairings, inspired by the seder plate. 
Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, executive director 
of The Well, and Tessie Ives-Wilson, events 
coordinator at Zingerman’s Delicatessen, 
facilitated education and commentary 
about each dish. To celebrate the end of 
Passover, The Well and Temple Israel part-
nered to host a Friendseder Mimouna on 
April 14, engaging 25 people with Shabbat 
dinner and Moroccan-inspired sweets.
Young adults across Metro Detroit and 
beyond gathered their friends and fam-
ily for a Friendseder meal, resulting in a 
dozen home-hosted Friendseders, engaging 
over 120 individuals. As the customizable 
nature of Friendseder is a focal point, these 
gatherings ranged from brunch buffets to 

matzah pizza-making parties to elaborate 
home-cooked dinner parties. Participants 
could utilize the Friendseder Haggadah or 
the Friendseder Sandwich Activity to aid in 
facilitating discussion around the themes of 
freedom and friendship.
Outside of these structured gatherings, 
Friendseder made its way onto the screens 
and into the homes of thousands of people 
around the world. Montreal CJA purchased 
75 Friendseder Starter Kits for their par-
ticipants in Canada, and content creators 
in different corners of the internet shared 
their Friendseder experiences through 
sponsored posts, generating over 47,000 
views.
Visit friendseder.com/highlights23 for 
more details, photos and videos. 

COURTESY OF THE WELL

The Well’s Friendseder 
Initiative Engages Hundreds

Katie Beasley-Sriro and Nathan Sriro host a 
Friendseder at their home in Ann Arbor.
Sarah Berkey Lencer and Moshe Lencer raise a glass at 
Zingerman’s Friendseder Community Brunch.

Participants at the Friendseder Mimouna, hosted by 
The Well and Temple Israel, enjoy Shabbat dinner and 
Moroccan-inspired sweets.
Steffany Ellenstein and Noah Dinkes host a Friendseder 
at their home in Farmington Hills.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WELL

