Last night, I attended a huge dinner party.  Our neighbors at the Temple Emanuel invited members of the greater Grand Rapids community to attend a Model Seder.  I had never been to a Sedar celebration before although I am very familiar with the old Testament story of the Jewish Passover.  The invitation was posted in the local paper and my husband and I registered to attend.

The hall was full when we arrived.  The tables were set with the symbolic foods and each table had at least one member of the congregation present to answer questions and welcome the guests.  Rabbai Michael A. Schadick opened the event with an introduction and then proceeded to share with us through demonstration and teaching the rich tradition embodied in the Seder.

It was a really interesting and educational event.  We read passages from the book used by the Jews during their Passover Seder called the Haggadah.  The meaning of the ceremonial foods was explained and we were invited to join in several songs; some in Hebrew and some in English.

The event was underwritten by the Coopersmith-Rosenzweig Foundation.  At the end of the Rabbai's teaching demonstration, all 180+ guests were served a light supper and dessert.  It was really delightful to see so many people from different backgrounds coming together to learn about a different religious tradition and get to know each other. 

In a surprising coincidence, we found ourselves sitting at a table with 3 individuals who had lived in Africa; one of whom was the mother of kids whom we had attended school with.  Then during dinner, we discovered that the member of the congregation seated at our table had also attended the University of Wisconsin, our alma mater.  Now...what are the chances of all of that happening from an invitation to dinner?

*The Temple Emanuel is located on 1715 East Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.