A local synagogue and church will hold a joint service for Passover Seder.
Hope Ridge United Methodist Church in Concord Township and Temple Am Shalom in Mentor will come together for the traditional Jewish feast March 29.
“Pastor Beth Wilterdink from the church asked me to help them with the Seder and lead the service,” said Renee Blau, spiritual leader and cantorial soloist at Temple Am Shalom. “What a great way to come together for this holiday season.”
The service will be held at Hope Ridge, 9870 Johnnycake Ridge Road. It will begin at 6 p.m. and feature the ceremonial meal.
Blau said she will bring the matzo ball soup for the Seder.
The Seder is a feast that includes reading, telling stories, singing, eating special foods and other Passover traditions, according to the Chabad-Lubavitch organization.
The text from the Passover Haggadah is used. The Haggadah is a book that contains the story and guide for the Seder, said Blau.
The ceremonial foods includes matzah, green vegetables dipped in salt water, charoset and horseradish. Each item is symbolic of the affliction, suffering and persecution that Jewish people faced in history, she said.
“During the Seder, we talk about all those symbols that relate to the book,” Blau said. “I’ve done this at several churches in the past. It’s a part of everyone’s history. It shows the connection between the religions.”
Experts say there are several similarities between the Jewish Passover holiday and Easter, a holiday celebrated by Christians.
“Judaism and Christianity rest firmly on the foundation stories recounted ritually in their respective spring festivals,” Rabbi Ismar Schorsch said in the article entitled“Passover and Spring”.
Both emphasizes history and hope.
While Blau has conducted joint services with other churches in the past, this is the first time collaborating with Hope Ridge.
She said she looks forward to uniting with their congregation.
“We plan to have 70 to 80 people there,” she said. “We all need one another. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from one another. It is a necessary healing, instead of the hatred and misconceptions that people have. We need more unity and love in this world.”
Don’t miss
>> Shredded sweet potatoes round out Easter, Passover menu
>> Munson Township announces Easter Egg Hunt
>> Willowick sets dates for Easter events