The setting for the New York Chapter of the American Jewish Committee's April 6 Model Seder for Diplomats was the exquisitely ornate sanctuary of New York’s second oldest congregation, Manhattan’s Congregation B’nai Jeshurun (founded on the Lower East Side in 1825).  For most of the 50 ambassadors and consuls general present, the Seder was “unknown territory.”  The diplomats I spoke with knew little about this happy Jewish celebration.  More than 150 AJCommittee hosts, dispersed at festively set circular tables, helped mentor the diplomats in the details of the Passover meal using the recently published “The Jewish World Family Haggadah” (IBooks).

The evening began with welcoming comments by New York chapter president Barry Alperin, diplomatic outreach chair Marian Stolz-Loike, B’nai Jeshurun’s rabbi Rolando Matalon and the synagogue’s cantor, Ari Priven.  A music ensemble accompanied the cantor and guests.  Matalon set the Seder’s celebratory as well as didactic parameters.  He cited this as “among the [world’s] oldest celebrations—dating back some 3,300 years.”  He differentiated between today’s Egypt (“It is not our enemy”) and the biblical “Mitzrayim, Hebrew for Egypt, the narrow place.”  Jews gather “in countries of dispersion in Asia, American, Africa, Europe to commemorate this holiday of Passover,” he noted.  “However, no matter where we live, Jews have always gravitated to their center of existence—Israel.   The Exodus served as a paradigm for African-Americans as a source of courage against slavery and oppression,” and he added: “The first instance of civil disobedience occurs when two midwives refused to execute the Pharaoh’s edicts to kill Israelite male babies.  The names of the midwives (Shifra and Puah) appear in the bible—but not the name of the Pharaoh.”  At my table were Rezlan Ishar Jenie, ambassador/permanent representative of the Republic of Indonesia; Iftekhar Chowdhury, ambassador/permanent representative of Bangladesh and Japan’s deputy consul general, Jiro Okuyama.  Hopefully, the Seder message and the memory of “breaking matzo together” will resonate with these diplomats as they travel through their postings worldwide.  Dayenu!