What is a Poverty Seder?

What is a Poverty Seder? It is my honor to welcome you all to Congregation Anshai Torah this evening. As we embark on this interfaith experience, we will explore a topic affecting our city and the Dallas area through the framework of the traditional Jewish Passover Seder. We are glad that you have joined us, and we hope that we all leave this evening feeling enlightened and inspired. Each year, Jews across the world join with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers to celebrate the holiday of Passover. But why? What is behind this tradition? Though Passover celebrates the Jewish people s freedom from slavery in Egypt, it is truly a celebration of freedom from all slavery and oppression. Yet in our world today, both still exist. Many people, even in a free society such as ours, are bound by hardships and challenges that make them virtual slaves to their circumstances. Today is a day to stand in the shoes of others, to remember that everyone should be free from poverty and to acknowledge that it is our collective obligation to provide a solution to ensure the security and success of our community. As we learn in Pirke Avot, the teachings of our fathers: לא עליך המלאכה לגמור, ולא אתה בן חורין להבטל ממנה Lo alecha ham lacha ligmor, v lo ata ben chorin l hibatale mimena. You are not obligated to finish the work [of perfecting the world] but neither are you allowed to desist from it. Seder means order in Hebrew. The ordered rituals and symbols of the Passover Seder help us to tell the story of the Jewish people s liberation from slavery in Egypt. During the traditional Seder, we join together and drink four cups of wine: a cup for each of the promises of freedom God made to the Israelites as God led us out from slavery in Egypt. 1

(ALL READ IN UNISON) Today we join together and make four new promises; promises not about breaking the shackles of Egyptian slavery but about breaking the bonds of local poverty. We do so standing together and calling for a better tomorrow, one in which all members of our community are blessed to have access to healthy food, a good education, quality work and a safe place to live. 1. We will recognize those in need around us. 2. We will act to support those in need in our community. 3. We will strive to create a world in which all people in our community are free from poverty. 4. We will use our power to persuade our leaders to act to abolish poverty in our community. Kadesh The First Cup: We will recognize those in need around us. Reader: Over the course of the Seder, we will raise our glasses four times to represent each facet of our commitment to help those in need around us. Many of us live our lives every day, unaware of the depth of need that permeates our community. Some of us do see the effects of poverty, but are unsure of how to help. The first step in our fight to alleviate poverty exists in awareness and recognition of the problem. As we sit here this evening, 40,000 children in Collin County are struggling with food insecurity, and going to bed hungry. Another 3,500 people in Dallas are homeless and sleeping in shelters and on the streets. It is imperative that we, as members of the greater Dallas community, acknowledge this need and take steps to alleviate it. We raise our glass in recognition of those around us who are going without tonight. 2

ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם הגפן פרי בורא Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu, melech h-aolam, borei p ri hagafen Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Karpas Green Vegetable Karpas is from the Greek word Karpos, which means fruit of the soil. Traditionally in the form of parsley, we honor the ushering in of spring. Spring symbolizes new life after a harsh winter and new hope after a season of darkness. READER: That the Greek language appears in a traditional Jewish service is no accident. When the ancient Rabbis were creating the rituals of Passover, they drew on their surrounding culture to create an evening where Jews could come together to learn about and discuss the most pressing issues of the day. The heart of the Seder, the telling of the story of the Exodus, was intended to spark discussion in each Jewish home of the modern day freedoms denied within both the Jewish and non-jewish communities. ALL: Tonight, we eat parsley dipped in salt water to remind us that the privilege of dining together as free men and women comes with the responsibility of fighting to eradicate the tears of those who are still enslaved. Dip green vegetable in salt water, then together recite blessing over the Karpas: ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם בורא פרי האדמה Baruch ata Adonai Elohenu, melech ha olam, borei p ri ha adama Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, creator of the fruits of the earth. May the blessings of Your bountiful harvests be enjoyed by all of humankind. 3

Yachatz Breaking the Middle Matzah ALL: (breaks matzah and holds up the broken piece): This broken matzah reminds us that our world is broken. We recall those who are poor, whose uncertainty about their future compels them to put aside the broken half for later use. We are shaken out of our complacency as we recall God s words: Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. Let us not be arrogant or insensitive to those not born of the wealth of our generation. May we recognize the blessings we have in our lives, and never close our eyes to those in need around us. Maggid Telling the Story We were slaves in Egypt and God brought us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. If God had not brought the Jews out from Egypt, then we, our children, and our children s children might still have been slaves in Egypt. Even though we have told the story before and know it well, it is still our duty to tell it. And the more we tell it, the more we are to be praised. This is the traditional text of the Maggid (Mah-geed), the story that serves as the backbone of the Seder. Though we tell the same story each Passover and ask the same questions about the nature of the rituals it has inspired, the answers to these questions change each year. Reader: Tonight, we tell the story of poverty and its effects on the greater Dallas community. With knowledge comes responsibility. Once all of us are adequately informed about the realities of life for so many of our neighbors, each of us will gain the power to make a difference and create change in the lives of those affected by poverty. May we listen to this story with open hearts and minds, committing ourselves to be a part of the solution. Keynote Speaker: Susan Hoff Senior Vice President of Community Impact United Way of Metropolitan Dallas 4

Ma Nishtana The Four Questions The problem is undeniable. Yet still, these facts leave us with many seemingly unanswerable questions. Judaism is a faith based on the act of questioning ourselves and our world. It is in these questions that we compel ourselves to look for solutions. Just as our traditional Seder compels us to use four questions to understand the meaning of Passover, we ask ourselves tonight: ALL QUESTIONS (IN BOLD) READ IN UNISON 1. Why is this year different from all others? Reader: Poverty in the greater Dallas area continues to grow at an alarming rate. The number of persons in Dallas living in poverty grew by 41% from 2000-2013. In Collin County, 1 out of every 10 children is living below the poverty line. 2. How is it possible that, on this night in this place, so many in our community remain shackled in the chains of poverty? Reader: Poverty can be systemic and generational, and many aspects of poverty are fundamentally connected. Lack of quality education affects employment opportunities, which in turn affects access to wholesome, nutritious food and safe, dependable housing. As children are born into this cycle, the problem only grows. 3. Why does our faith compel us to fight to alleviate poverty? Reader: Judaism teaches us the value of tikkun olam- or repairing the world. This idea allows Jews to live by the principle of to save one life is to save the entire world. Other faith traditions hold similar values. Our traditions teach us to look beyond ourselves for the good of the world around us. We commit ourselves to this tonight. 4. How can we eradicate poverty tonight and every night? Reader: Change, like poverty, can be systemic and generational. We must recognize the problem, and commit ourselves to action. We must dedicate our minds, bodies and spirits to solving the problem, whether through volunteer work, donations, or advocacy. Finally, 5

we must instill these values in our children, to ensure that our progress continues into the next generation. The Four Children At Passover, we are presented with the narratives of Four Children, each of whom has a different reaction to hearing the Passover story. Perhaps the Hagaddah deliberately provides caricatures of four types of children to teach us something about the care we must take when we answer questions. Each person at our Seder is coming from a different place. By telling us the story of the four children, each with a distinct question and each with a distinct answer, the Hagaddah is telling us to accept each person where they are and to begin from there. During tonight s Seder, we will look at four profiles of people who are struggling with poverty. READER: The Child I am a ten-year-old boy growing up in East Plano. I live with my mom and two younger sisters in an apartment, and I am in 4 th grade. My mom used to work, but she got laid off. Now, we don t have enough money to go to the grocery store every weekend like we used to. We get to eat breakfast and lunch at school, but most of the time we don t have enough dinner for everyone at home. I tell Mom I m not hungry, so that my sisters can have more. I wish we didn t have to worry about food so much. READER: The Single Mother I had my son when I was 19. My daughter was born a few years later. Life used to be normal. We had a nice house in Garland, with a big yard for the kids to play in. But then, my husband died, and everything changed. We lost our house, and now all of us live in a 1-bedroom apartment. My kids are alone a lot because I work two jobs. Sometimes, I don t come home until midnight. I want to get another job, maybe in an office, but they tell me I need an associate s degree before I can even apply. I wish I could go back to school to help better my children s lives. READER: The New American I came to this country in search of a better life for my wife and my kids. Where we came from, nobody was safe. I worried every day that I would come home from work and my family would be hurt, missing or worse. I had to get 6

them out of there. My sister in America told us to join her in a city in Texas called Grand Prairie. When we got here, I thought I was going to get a job right away. It s been 9 months, and nothing. I thought this was the land of opportunity. I wish I could get up and go to work every day and make my kids proud. READER: The Senior Citizen I have lived in South Oak Cliff my entire life. In fact, my family has lived in this neighborhood for three generations! I worked at the local middle school as a janitor for 52 years, and I would have kept working had my knees not gone out a few years back. It s been hard to keep up on all of my bills since I stopped working. My husband and I always had a little bit of money saved up in case of emergencies. Now that s all gone, I don t know how I am going to pay my rent next month. I wish I knew how I was going to support myself for the rest of my life. The Ten Plagues The traditional Passover Seder lists ten plagues that afflicted the Egyptians. We live in a different world, but Passover is the time to remember that, even after our liberation from slavery, there are still many challenges for us to meet. Some of the plagues we see today are plagues of our own making - the awful, unintended results of our own actions and creations. As we read each of these plagues aloud, we dip a finger into the grape juice and touch a drop onto our plate. This reminds us that, even as we celebrate freedom, our freedom is not complete. By removing a drop of grape juice from our cup we symbolically show our bounty is diminished by the suffering of others. (All Read in Unison Together) 1. Our cup is diminished when economic inequalities result in the struggle for basic needs. 2. Our cup is diminished when resources are limited to the people and communities who would benefit most. 3. Our cup is diminished when people do not have safe and secure housing. 4. Our cup is diminished when hunger persists in a land of plenty. 5. Our cup is diminished when people do not have access to quality education. 7

6. Our cup is diminished when individuals get caught in a cycle of debt. 7. Our cup is diminished when the lack of quality employment opportunities affects people s ability to provide for their families. 8. Our cup is diminished when people feel ashamed of the circumstances of their lives. 9. Our cup is diminished when children are born into the cycle of poverty. 10. Our cup is diminished when a lack of resources causes discrimination and isolation. Dayenu After telling the story of local poverty it is important to reflect on our gratitude for what we have. In the traditional Passover Seder, we thank God for the miracles God performed and we say Dayenu this alone would have been enough. In today s Poverty Seder, we pause to recite aloud the blessings we enjoy. ALL SING: Di Di-ay-nu, Di Di-ay-nu, Di Di-ay-nu Dayenu, Dayenu (x2) All: We are grateful that so many among us do not suffer from the oppression and hardship of poverty. We are grateful for this opportunity to direct our community s attention to the issue of poverty. We are grateful to those who donate their time, energy, and resources to help those in need. We are grateful for living in a democracy in which we are able to influence our government s priorities. We are grateful we made the time to be present at this Seder to educate ourselves about local poverty and to be inspired to act. 8

Di Di-ay-enu, Di Di-ey-enu, Di Di-ey-enu Dayenu, Dayenu (x2) Kos Sheini The Second Cup: We will act to support those in need in our community. On this night, we come together in gratitude to God for the blessings we have been given. It is in recognition of these blessings that we commit ourselves and the resources we have at our disposal to providing for those in need. All: We commit ourselves to changing our community, our city and our world. We commit ourselves to being a part of the solution. We commit ourselves to making a difference in the lives of those in need. Each of us has the power to take action in the fight against poverty. Imagine the impact if all of us volunteered our time and resources to feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless. Tonight we raise our glass in celebration of the power that each of us has to change our community. ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם הגפן פרי בורא Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu, melech h-aolam, borei p ri hagafen Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Matzah The Symbols of Passover Symbolic foods are an essential part of the Passover Seder. And no Seder is complete without an explanation of the roles these foods play in our evening as well as suggestions for how we might internalize their meaning. 9

READER: The first symbolic food of Passover is Matzah, le-ch-em o-ni or the bread of affliction. This can also be interpreted as the bread of poverty. A poor person, who lacks money and possessions, reflects the basic minimum for human existence. This person has nothing outside of themselves, and their identity, that of a poor person, is independent of anything except themselves. Matzah is called the bread of poverty because it, too, has nothing besides the basic minimum for its existence, flour and water. As we eat the Matzah, we acknowledge that poverty can be all consuming, defining each and every aspect of the impoverished individuals experience. ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם המוציא לחם מן הארץ Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha-olam, hamotzi lehem meen ha aretz Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. Zeroah Shank bone On the Seder plate, you will also find a roasted shank bone, a reminder that the Israelites celebration of Passover was accompanied by an animal sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem. One of the remarkable features of this particular sacrifice was that it was to be eaten not just by the priests in the Temple, but all who made the pilgrimage to the Holy City during the festival. The shank bone, then, is also a symbol of equality a reminder that resources should not be reserved for the few but granted to everyone. Maror Bitter Herbs Another important Passover symbol is maror, bitter herbs. Bitter herbs serve as a reminder of how the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers and mothers. When we eat these bitter herbs, we partake in the bitterness of servitude and oppression. 10

ALL: It is our obligation, as people and as members of this community, to do what we can to lighten the load of those less fortunate and to show compassion for all those who continue to face oppression. We join together in the blessing over the maror (lift up maror and eat a piece after the blessing): ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על אכילת מרור Baruch ata Adonai Elohenu, Melech ha olam, asher kideshanu be mitzvotav ve tzivanu al achilat maror Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who has made us holy with God s commandments and commanded us to eat bitter herbs. Koreich Hillel Sandwich On Passover, we also eat charoset, a sweet mix of apples, nuts and cinnamon. Although charoset tastes sweet, it symbolizes the mortar the Jewish people used to build and keep the bricks together when they were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. (Take two pieces of matzah and create a sandwich with charoset and bitter herbs.) During the Passover Seder, we eat a sandwich of maror and charoset between two pieces of matzah, called a Hillel Sandwich, named after Rabbi Hillel. Today s Poverty Seder is truly represented in this sandwich the sweetness of the warmth and community gathered here tonight mixed with the bitterness of poverty faced by so many in the streets and homes of the greater Dallas community all sandwiched between matzah which is both the bread of poverty and the bread of prosperity. 11

Shulchan Oreich Festival Meal READER: This is the part where in the traditional Seder we eat. Please feel free to make your way to the buffet tables and take food. While you are eating, please take a few minutes, and at each table introduce yourselves and share why you are concerned about poverty and what, if any, anti-poverty initiatives you have been a part of. Then talk about ways you think that the greater Dallas area faith community can work together to make an impact. Grace After Meals בריך רחמנא מלכא דעלמה מרי דחי פיתא Brich rahamana malka d alma marei d hai pita Blessed is the merciful one, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of bread. Oh Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and simple, tried and true, and with thanksgiving I ll be a living sanctuary for you. Kos Shlishi - The Third Cup: We will strive to create a world in which all people in our community are free from poverty. All: May we, as people of different faiths and communities, come together in the hope of alleviating poverty to help our city and all of its citizens thrive. Together, we are stronger. We raise our glasses to this hope as one. 12

ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם הגפן פרי בורא Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu, melech h-aolam, borei p ri hagafen Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Hallel-Praise Reader: As the Seder nears its conclusion, we traditionally sing songs of praise to God. The Seder recounts the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, the journey from slavery to freedom. Lack of voice and personal agency is a fundamental feature of slavery that precludes prayer. Remarkably, by the end of the story, the People of Israel are able to sing, to tell of their experiences, to express their gratitude, to articulate their hopes, which is the ultimate mark of freedom. We sing tonight in the hope that all those who suffer from poverty will soon emerge from their struggle and join our song. הללו את-יהוה כל-גוים שבחוהו כל-האמים כי גבר עלינו חסדו ואמת יהוה לעולם הללו-יה Ha-le-lu et Adonai kol go-yim, sha-bechu-hu kol ha-u-mim Ki ga-var a-lei-nu chas-do, ve e-met Adonai le-olam ha-le-lu-yah Praise the lord, all nations. Exalt him all peoples! For his steadfast love has overcome us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord (Psalm 117) 13

Kos Revi i - The Fourth Cup: We will use our power to persuade our leaders to act to abolish poverty in our community. We thank God for our ability to live in a democratic society, where we are free to voice our concerns to those who make decisions for us. ALL: We have the tools in place to create a poverty-free world. It is our responsibility to use these tools to take action and make a difference. We come together, as people of faith, to use our democratic power in influencing our leaders to act to abolish poverty in our communities. We will use our collective voice to speak for those who cannot. ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם הגפן פרי בורא Baruch ata adonai Eloheinu, melech haolam, borei pri hagafen Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. ALL: We will together create a world where all Americans, and all people, are free from poverty. Nirtzah - Conclusion We know that much of what we discussed here tonight is upsetting, but we hope that you feel inspired to act. We have provided you with a list of agencies and opportunities to help. While this list is not exhaustive, it will give you some ideas of how to get involved. Our Seder is now coming to a close. We celebrated our freedom, learned about the poverty that still plagues our communities, and affirmed our commitment to work together to create a poverty-free world. We pray that, at this time next year, our fellow men, women, and children will be blessed with abundance and freedom from the yoke of poverty. 14

The JCRC would like to thank all those who made tonight s event such a special experience. Interfaith Seder Co-Chairs Judie Arkow Marlene Cohen Lindsay Feldman Dafna Rubinstein Clergy Registered as of 3/17/15 Reverend Joseph Clifford, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas Reverend Nancy DeStefano, St. Stephen United Methodist Church Presbyter Jan DeVries, Grace Presbytery Reverend Wendy Fenn, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas Reverend Patricia Generes, Center for Spiritual Living, Lovers Lane Imam Abdul Hatim, Masjid Hasan of Fort Worth Scholar Shaikh Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Islamic Association of Collin County Rabbi Michael Kushnick, Congregation Anshai Torah Rabbi Debra Robbins, Temple Emanu-El Imam Talib Salahuddin, Masjid Hasan of Fort Worth Rabbi Benjamin Sternman, Congregation Adat Chaverim Reverend Mike Thompson, Grace Presbytery Rabbi Shira Wallach, Congregation Shearith Israel Rabbi Stefan Weinberg, Congregation Anshai Torah Reverend Robert Williams, Santa Clara Catholic Church Thank you to all of our Seder readers Thank you to Congregation Anshai Torah and staff Our sincere appreciation to all who joined us tonight 15