On Saturday April 18, about 150 people on 70 devices joined us for our first ever virtual Third Seyder! We got to see the faces of our community, to sing with our favourite musicians, and to participate in Passover rituals that are such an important part of this time of year.
Clocking in at exactly one hour, there was not one complaint about the length! Opening with a land acknowledgement and welcome from Executive Director, Rachel Epstein, we began with a song and a poem by Aurora Levins Morales, Red Sea, read by Shule grad Aviva Gale-Buncel -- as timely now as it was when it was written in 2002.
As always, we were accompanied by musicians Marilyn Lerner and David Wall who sang separately from their own homes. The rest of us sang along, on mute. Except of course, for Dayenu, when we unmuted and a cacophony of delightful chaos erupted as we sang and softly beat ourselves and each other with scallions, or whatever soggy vegetable was available (celery, carrots, kale...).
UJPO member Ely T. blew us away with their Ten Plagues Rap. MWS students drew up a Seder plate and sent in a recording of Di Fir Kashes (The Four Questions), compiled by Kinder Kapers teacher, Shifra Cooper. We read poems for each of the Four Glasses of Wine. And finally, we honoured the 77th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising with a reading by Irena Klepfisz and, of course, Zog Nit Keyn Mol. We concluded with a rousing rendition of To Life, To Life, L'Khaim! It was a celebration of life and of community.
Thank you to all who participated, to the planning committee: Rachel Epstein, sue goldstein, Elka Guz, Marylin Kanee, and Ely T, to the readers: Sam Blatt, Aviva Gale-Buncel, sue goldstein, Charna Gord, Marylin Kanee, and Michelle Munk.
To next year! Out of quarantine and in person!
(It has been suggested that all our seyders should be one hour long!)
Link to songs and readings from the Third Seyder here.
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