How do I know the Passover Project: A Musical Seder was a hit?
The venue ran out of matzah ball soup. And tickets too.
That was the scene Tuesday night, April 8, at City Winery in the Foundry, where more than 250 guests filled the room for the second annual Passover Project: A Musical Seder—a soulful, creative celebration that fused music, storytelling and tradition with a distinctly St. Louis flavor.
The audience came for and received soulful grooves, poetic readings and fresh takes on classic Passover traditions led by an all-star lineup, including:
- Jeff and David Lazaroff (Brothers Lazaroff)
- Robert Koritz (Dark Star Orchestra drummer)
- Anita Jackson (powerhouse vocalist)
- Joey Ferber (singer-songwriter, guitarist)
- Michael Tzinberg (fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin master)
- David Goldenberg (mandolin virtuoso)
- Avi Mazzeo (vocalist extraordinaire and arrangement)
- Ben Reece (horns)
- Mark Hochberg (violinist)
- Antonio Foster (keys)
- Blake Mickens (bassist)
- Matt Henry (drums)
- DJ Boogeyman
Plus, Rabbis Amy Feder and Daniel Bogard wove moments of Passover wisdom throughout the evening. Bogard added soulful harmonica to the mix, while Feder wowed the crowd with a stirring rendition of ‘Miriam’s Cup’ by Debbie Friedman.
How The Passover Project came to be
Back in March of 2023, Michael Dorf opened City Winery St. Louis, an entertainment venue, restaurant, winery and event space at the City Foundry in Midtown. When Jewish Light Editor-in-Chief Ellen Futterman interviewed him at the time of the opening, she asked Dorf, who is Jewish and a Washington University graduate, about the annual Downtown Seder for Passover he has championed in New York City since 1991.
The Downtown Seder began at the legendary Knitting Factory, an avant-garde nightspot in N.Y.’s East Village that Dorf owned before opening the first City Winery, in New York City, in 2008. The seder typically takes place a week or so before Passover. As Dorf once explained to Tablet Magazine, “This (isn’t) really a substitute for someone’s home seder, but rather a supplement.”
Over the years, the N.Y. seder has featured musicians, actors, comedians and politicians, including Lou Reed, Dr. Ruth, Al Franken, Alex Edelman, Israeli musician David Broza, Modi, Judy Gold and New York Mayor Eric Adams, among others.
After all, there is more than one way to tell the age-old Passover story of Exodus — hundreds of versions of the Haggadah are out there — so why not reimagine the biblical narrative through the arts, Dorf reasoned.
Why not, indeed.
That got Futterman thinking: Why not borrow the idea and create a lively, fun, alternative Passover seder that brings the community together and highlights some of St. Louis’ abundant musical and theatrical talent. And why not have some of the proceeds go the benefit the Jewish Light.
Once she got the OK and a firm date from Dorf and City Winery to host the event, Futterman enlisted David and Jeff Lazaroff and Rabbi James Goodman of Central Reform Congregation to help produce this music-filled, interactive, alternative seder.
“Rabbi Goodman had discussed the idea of a musical Passover event in the past, but not until Ellen Futterman approached us did we have the motivation to see what we could put together,” David Lazaroff said, adding that he and his brother wanted it to be very different from their annual Hanukkah Hullabaloo, which they have spearheaded for 14 years and counting.
“When Ellen approached us with this idea, we thought it would be a great chance to support the Jewish Light and help create a collaborative event for and with the community.”
All of the talent involved generously donated their time to help the Jewish Light with this “Friend Raiser” and shine a light on the importance of Jewish journalism and its future.
Sponsors of this year’s Passover Project 2025 included The Staenberg Group, PNB Bank, Spirtas Worldwide, Nancy and Ken Kranzberg, Berger Memorial, Congregation Temple Israel, On the Run, Manor Real Estate, Central Reform Congregation, abeles+company and M1 Bank.
