Interfaith Seder Focusing on Poverty

Jews, Christians and Muslims
sitting around one table to discuss poverty

Monday night, MDHA President and CEO, Cindy J. Crain, and I had the great pleasure of attending the Jewish Community Relations Council 3rd Annual Interfaith Seder at Congregation Anshai Torah in Plano. The theme this year was "Confronting Poverty". The purpose of this inspiring event was to use the traditional Seder meal, which Jews practice on the first two nights of Passover, as a model to highlight and indeed confront the issue of poverty in Greater Dallas. Many people in Dallas remain virtual slaves to their difficult circumstances, just as in the Passover story the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt.

Susan Hoff

The Seder was led by Congregation Anshai Torah's Senior Rabbi, Stefan Weinberg, and included readers from the clergy of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities. Our good friend, Susan Hoff, CSO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, was the keynote speaker. She urged those present to be mindful of the fact that for too many people the American promise - that if you work hard, you can rise out of poverty - is slipping away. She reminded all of us that through collective action we can change this.