The Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and the Michael and Barbara Newmark Institute for Human Relations at the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC) are organizing a Community Hunger Seder at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive in Shrewsbury.  

The seder is part of a national hunger seder mobilization coordinated by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. The mobilization focuses on addressing the root causes of poverty in the United States. Both faith communities are committed to the principle that meeting the needs of the hungry is a religious imperative that must be seen as a priority.

Organizers hope the seder will be a vehicle to empower individuals and organizations to address the causes and consequences of poverty and increasing food insufficiency facing the region and nation. 

Participants will read from a specially designed Passover Haggadah during the seder, which will be led by Congregation Bnai Amoona adjunct Rabbi Josef A. Davidson. The Haggadah will have special readings addressing the importance of working to free all people from hunger. The program will conclude with a call to action, including specific steps that can be taken to reduce food insecurity in St. Louis and nationally. 

Participants are asked to bring donations of canned food to benefit area food pantries.

The event is planned in collaboration with Bread for the World, the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, Missouri Association for Social Welfare and Operation Food Search. Additional support and funding for the seder comes from MAZON and the JCPA.

RSVPs are required for the event and space is limited. RSVP to Roxann Holloway at JCRC at 314-442-3871 or [email protected] no later than Friday, April 4. For more information, contact Gail Wechsler at JCRC at [email protected] or 314-442-3894.