The Passover Seder is one of the most important celebrations on the Jewish calendar. Even Jews that are not religious the rest of the year will attend a Seder. Seders also have a universal appeal because of the values being celebrated: freedom, striving against oppression, and the enhancing of liberty for all. These values are a source of inspiration for people fighting against their own oppression. The Haggadah, the book that serves as a guide to the Seder, comes in many ‘flavors’ to respond to different needs, historical circumstances and to many different people: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Secular Jews; feminists, gays and lesbians, even Christian-oriented.
This is a Unitarian Universalist version of what the Passover Seder means for us in our modern age.
Alec Peck has been a practicing UU for 23 years, raised in a UU church, chosen by his father, raised Quaker, and mother, raised Jewish (though both Humanist in praxis). Alec attended the Passover seder dinner held at his UU church throughout his childhood and has fond memories of the rituals those Humanist Jews performed each year. He is now completing his Ph.D. at UC Riverside, while serving as chair of the Worship Committee here at UUCR.
Topics: Neighboring Faiths, Religious History, Social and Environmental Justice