For more than a decade now, the Jewish Labor Committee has organized local Labor Seders across the United States around Passover time, to bring leaders of the trade union movement and leaders of the organized Jewish community together to “break matza,” explore the story of the ancient Israelites from bondage to freedom, and also examine contemporary efforts to secure dignity and security for working men and women, their families and communities.
Most of these Labor Seders use a specially-prepared Jewish Labor Committee Passover Haggadah, now in its fifth edition. Copies of these are available – at a special price of $7 apiece plus shipping / handling, and $5 apiece plus s/h for ten or more. Send your order with your complete name and address – and the mailing address if different – to us at JLCHaggadah@jewishlabor.org
With descriptions of the occupations of Tamudic-era rabbis, with quotations from Samuel Gompers, Berl Katznelson, Philo, Cesar Chavez, Harold Schulweis, Yariv Ben Aharon, David Dubinsky, Albert Memmi, Hanoch of Alexandria, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Rose Schneiderman, Sidney Hillman, Michael Walzer, Naamah Kelman, Ludwig Lewisohn, Martin Luther King, Jr., Louis Brandeis, Frederick Douglass, Martin Niemoller, Hillel the Elder, Haim Simon, Desmond Tutu, Michael Perry, Ira Eisenstein, Franz Rosenzweig, and Abraham Lincoln, and the poetry of Woody Guthrie and Morris Rosenfeld … the JLC Passover Haggadah is a unique addition to any Passover Seder, and any Haggadah collection!
This year, we’ve organized and partnering with others in organizing Labor Seders that have already taken place in New York NY, Washington DC, West Orange NJ, and Dorchester MA.
We’re also holding Labor Seders in Philadelphia PA, St. Louis MO, Madison WI and Houston TX.
The Philadelphia Labor Seder will take place April 11th at Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel – contact person is Michael Hersch – PhiladelphiaJLC@jewishlabor.org; the St. Louis Labor Seder will take place April 12th – contact person is Arlene Baer – abaer@jcrcstl.org; the Madison Labor Seder will take place April 14th – contact person is Rabbi Renee Bauer – director@workerjustice.org; and the Houston Labor Seder will take place April 18th – contact person is Richard Shaw – shawtrek@aol.com
If you would like to work with us on organizing a Labor Seder in your community, just write to us at info@jewishlabor.org
Filed under: Conferences and Events, Resources Tagged: | Jewish Labor Committee, JLC, Labor Seder
To get them in time for this year’s start of Passover, which begins Friday evening, we might have to send them via overnight mail – so call 212-477-0707, and ask for Adrienne Lowe, to order them now.