FolesHillfields held it's second Unity Seder last week. The Passover "Seder" commemorates the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago - and it's themes resonate with the historical experience of many peoples. Our Unity Seder also commemorates the experience of all people who have been enslaved, exiled or otherwise oppressed, while reaffirming our commitment to the unity and liberation of all people.

The Passover Seder reminds Jews of the experience of slavery and redemption by retelling the biblical story of Exodus using various ritual foods such as bitter herbs, roasted eggs, salt water, unleavened bread or matzo, and four cups of wine (in our case, strictly non-alcoholic grape juice).

The goals of our Unity Seder were to:

• Continue to learn about the experience of other peoples by listening to their stories as told in their own voices, and thereby build bridges between our diverse communities;
• Welcome Jews more explicitly than we have yet done into foleshillfields' growing intercultural family;
• Reaffirm our commitment to challenging and overcoming oppression and embracing freedom and redemption for all people;
• Celebrate the particular light that Jews bring to the world;
• Affirm the common humanity of all people.

We all had a great time, ate good food and enjoyed good company.