“MIXED MULTITUDE”: The Congregation Tehillah – Riverdale Y Passover Seder Workshop for Interfaith & Multicultural Jewish Families

MIXED MULTITUDE, a Passover Seder workshop in four parts, is designed to help multicultural and interfaith Jewish families weave their diverse backgrounds and cultures into the Seder experience. The Torah says that when the children of Israel embarked on the Exodus, a MIXED MULTITUDE went out from Egypt. Traditionally, the rabbis have interpreted this to mean that some Egyptians and other peoples joined the Ancient Hebrews in the journey. A MIXED MULTITUDE, peoples with different histories and stories and cultures, embarked on a journey to the unknown, but sometimes this beautiful aspect of the original Exodus is forgotten. Sometimes, people in interfaith and multicultural Jewish families have felt lost, dismissed or alienated.

In this workshop, we will revitalize the MIXED MULTITUDE aspect of the Exodus, so that instead of being spectators or checking parts of our identities at the door, our experiences and backgrounds become integral to the Seder Experience. Each year, we are commanded to participate in the Seder as if we were there, experiencing the Exodus for the first time. Each year at our Seder tables is an opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate and participate in the original MIXED MULTITUDE, embarking together on a journey of discovery. Come journey with us in this four-part workshop series as we help you bring your voice, your story, your journey to the Seder that you will be attending or making by:
-Creating a safe space to discuss the experiences of inclusion and exclusion,
-Journeying together to study the themes of the Seder,
-Designing ways of conducting a Seder to be inclusive and respectful of everyone’s story, and
-Crafting a lasting memento of the experience through art –ceramics, poetry, journaling–that can be incorporated into the family Seder.

MIXED MULTITUDE SCHEDULE: 4 Sundays in 2014: Feb 23, Mar 2, Mar 30, Apr 6 from 4 PM – 6 PM. Led by Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn, and with assistance from guest artists. All texts, materials, and art supplies will be provided. At the Riverdale Y. Suggested contribution for the workshop series: $40 per family. Childcare available.To register, contact Rabbi Linda: Rabbi@… | 718.884.4839
MIXED MULTITUDE is made possible by a generous grant from the UJA-Federation of NY and in partnership with the Riverdale Y.