Jews and non-Jews hold Passover seder to unite against hate of all kinds

As Jews across the world celebrate Passover, the Jewish federation of greater Los Angeles and L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell are bringing together Jews and non-Jews to stop hate of all kinds.

This week, the two held a Passover seder for a group of L.A. County residents featuring a special Haggadah or prayer book where the 10 plagues were compared to modern day plagues like homelessness. Traditions of other cultures incorporated into the dinner.

"It's a time for families to come together and express what they're appreciative of and to make a commitment on how they will lead and give back in the year to come. Certainly in the African American community, we do that around the table with foods that touch us that are reminiscent of family members who are no longer with us," said Mitchell.

Jews celebrate Passover under the threat of rising Antisemitism. According to the Anti-Defamation League, reported Anti-Semitic incidents increased by more than 30% from 2021 to 2022.

"Bringing together different communities around Passover to experience and understand what it means to go from a place of oppression to a place of freedom. While the story remains the same, the world in which we tell it is constantly changing. We look to take those lessons from centuries ago and apply them to our lives today," said Mary Kohav, the Vice President of DEI and Community Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

Mitchell launched the racial justice learning exchange more than a year ago. The initiative has created safe spaces for residents of L.A. County of all backgrounds to unite against hate and realize being a victim of anti-blackness is no different than being a victim of Anti-Semitism.

"So much of white supremacist ideology and racism is grounded in ignorance and if we acknowledge what we don't know and we strive to be culturally competent, I think that's the first big step. It's not enough to say I'm not racist, but to really figure out how we show up for another in times of need," said Mitchell.

Bias is often based in ignorance, so the point of the seder was to learn about another culture and religion, in order to build bridges to combat hate.

Here is the link to Supervisor Michell's Racial Justice Learning Exchange Initiative: https://mitchell.lacounty.gov/racialjustice/