FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — While the Passover Seder traditionally recounts the journey from slavery to freedom for Jewish people, Tuesday night’s gathering at Adat Shalom Synagogue also focused on a modern-day journey and brought together people from all walks of life.
The room was filled with diplomats and faith leaders, all reflecting on a year marked by rising tension and local tragedy.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
“On the day of the attack at Temple Israel, it was these interfaith partners who were reaching out to me with calls, texts, emails, expressing solidarity, support and condemning," organizer Amy Sapeika with American Jewish Committee Detroit told 7 News Detroit.
She said some of the people who reached out were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc, who suffered their own deadly attack in September when a gunman rammed his vehicle into the church, opened fire and lit the building ablaze.
"When that happened, I reached out and we unfortunately had shared that commonality that we knew we had both experienced that. So, they also reached out and we’re really grateful for their friendship," Sapeika recalled.
Not only did they break bread Tuesday, she said “We’re also talking about creating an opportunity for some teenagers that were affected in both of our communities to come together and have their own Seder.”
This Seder, which is a Jewish service and ceremonial dinner for Passover, brought together people of all faiths. The goal? To turn dialogue into a blueprint for a more functional society.
“I hope (people watching) take away that people who are coming together from such disparate backgrounds set an example for how society ought to be and how we need to function together: listening to each other, having dialogue and respecting each other’s faith traditions and faith practices,” Padma Kuppa with the Hindu Community Relations Council said.
Related video: Jewish Federation of Detroit provides $1 million for security upgrades following Temple Israel attack
Brenda Rosenberg, the Jewish liaison for Interfaith Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan, said “There’s over 20 values that we share as Christian, Jews, Muslims and Hindus, and when we come together, it can be, we can be a very powerful force for good in our world.”
In a world often divided by headlines, those at these tables say the physical act of sitting down together is the only way to dilute the "poison" of prejudice.
“These events are essential, especially in challenging times like this where we can remind ourselves our shared humanity, our shared purpose to impact one another in the positive way,” Bushra Alawie, an interfaith ambassador, told 7 News Detroit.
Dr. Anil Kumar, who's on the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, said “What Buddha said: hatred is the poison that one drinks in the hope that they will kill the enemy, and so that poison has to go away.”
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Father William Danaher, rector of Christ Church Cranbrook, said “When we come together and when we get into each other’s spaces, when we hear each other’s stories, when we see each other’s faces, we begin to be transformed by just being with each other. Empathy is created. Understanding is increased. Barriers drop. And bridges are built.”
