Two hundred people including labor leaders, politicians, activists and the Jewish community connected ancient history with modern injustice through story, song and food at the 8^th annual Labor Seder. This years’ event highlighted disenfranchisement of DC residents through a reinterpretation of the traditional Jewish Passover story.

“Celebrating our liberation every year at the Labor Seder, with hundreds of Jews dedicated to building a healthy, fair, and safe DC metropolitan area, renews both our Jewish Identity and our commitment to make change. The Labor Seder is a powerful way to highlight local social and economic injustices and to join diverse communities in education and action.” said Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director of JUFJ.

The event featured Mary Cheh, DC Councilmember for Ward 3, Joslyn Williams, President of the Metro Washington Council of the AFL-CIO, Heather Booth, Director of the AFL-CIO Healthcare Reform Campaign and Daniel Solomon, co-founder of the non-profit advocacy group DC Vote. These community leaders joined with JUFJ and members of the metro area Jewish community to learn the history of the fight for voting rights in DC through discussion, song, storytelling, and childrens’ activities.

Symbolic Passover foods and elements of the Passover story were reinterpreted to fit the voting rights theme. “The Passover seder directs participants to put a drop of wine on a plate to represent each of the plagues that beset the Jews as they tried to escape their bondage—we recited the ten plagues of disenfranchisement to illuminate the effects of lack of representation suffered by the residents of DC,” explains JUFJ Program Director Darya Mattes.

JUFJ staff would like to thank all of this years' attendees and especially the more than forty volunteers who made this event possible!