Hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests) is an important part of the Passover seder. The act of hospitality was at the forefront of the 2026 Aurelia Konrad Interfaith Community Seder. The event drew more than 150 interfaith participants to the Jewish Community Center on Thursday, March 26. The seder, hosted by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and the Newmark Institute, is an opportunity to talk about freedom, liberation and justice, said David Cohen, JCRC president.
“Isn’t it wonderful for us to gather together as brothers and sisters?” Cohen asked the attendees. “Absolutely! It’s wonderful to get together and talk about the story of Moses who saw injustice and acted on it.”
The program drew some newcomers to the annual event, like Reverand Lauren Bennett from Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis, who said, “This is my time participating in an interfaith seder in St. Louis and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to be together in a ritual that’s central to Jewish life. There’s so much tension in the world today, so I’m grateful that we can participate in this.”
Reverand Johathan Tremaine Thomas from Civil Righteousness, Inc. said he had previously attended a seder, but this was his first time at the Aurelia Konrad seder.
“This year we came into a relationship JCRC, and they funded a fellowship called Rekindle to foster dialogue between Jewish community and Black community, and I got to participate in that program. It has been such an enriching, powerful and important program and I wanted to continue that relationship with the Jewish community.”
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