Due to the fact that HRC will be closing its building on April 5th and due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we regret to inform you that this year’s in-person Seder has been cancelled. These are challenging times and this was a hard decision to make, but ultimately the safety and well-being of our community members comes first.

We are exploring alternate possibilities, including a virtual Seder or other remotely-led Passover programming and look forward to engaging with you and the broader community in a way that makes everyone feel welcome and more at ease.

13TH ANNUAL NATIONAL RAINBOW SEDER

Join GLOE and Rabbi Ahuva and song leader Rachel Wolman for this 13th annual event to celebrate Passover through an LGBTQ lens.

Now in its thirteenth year, the National Rainbow Seder is one of the nation’s largest and longest-running Passover seders for the queer Jewish community and its allies, co-presented by GLOE – GLBTQ Outreach & Engagement at the Edlavitch DCJCC and the Human Rights Campaign’s Religion & Faith program. Hosted inside the Equality Center ballroom at the HRC headquarters in Washington, DC, this year’s program will feature a full Passover seder complete with a specially-commissioned Haggadah (the Jewish text containing the Passover story) retelling the traditional tale of Jewish triumphs of resistance alongside the hard-fought progress made by the LGBTQ equality movement over the past decade since the National Rainbow Seder’s inception.

We’ll enjoy a special Passover meal as we read our own Haggadah and perform its festive rituals with the Jewish LGBTQ community and our friends.

4:30 – 5:00 PM | VIP/Mensch Reception
5:00 – 5:30 PM | Community Schmooze/Cocktail Hour
5:30 – 8:00 PM | Seder, with Dinner Program

Interested in helping with event setup? Please contact GLOE Program Manager Matt Adler to volunteer.

Due to COVID-19, we’ve had to rethink Seder 2020.

This year, Jewish Life & Learning and GLOE – the Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and Engagement, have joined forces to bring our community seders to the safety of your homes. Our community seder will be the same open, welcoming, pluralistic celebration of freedom you’ve come to expect from the EDCJCC – but this year it’s virtual!

Throughout the seder, there will be opportunities for sharing in small groups, building community, and reflecting together or individually. Throughout the Seder, we will break out into small “tables” of people to allow for socializing. When you register, you will be able to request to be at an  EntryPointDC (20s and 30s young professionals) table or a GLOE table or to list another family/friend group.

As always, we welcome interfaith, LGBTQ, and other traditionally marginalized voices to our virtual seder table. This year’s seder will be led by Amanda Herring, Manager of Jewish Life and Learning at the EDCJCC; Ari Jacobson, song leader; and members of the GLOE Committee.

We will go through the steps of the Seder, skipping over the meal, and then break into our tables at 8:00 PM where you’ll have the chance to eat over video or go offline to eat with your household. We will provide resources for completing the prayer after the meal and the search for the Afikomen on your own after the meal.

Click on the TICKETS button to the right to register and get the login information!

Seder Leader Bio:

Amanda Herring, MA
Manager of Jewish Life and Learning
Amanda joined the EDCJCC in January 2020, she has been educating through immersive experiences and food-related programming for the past ten years in Virginia, DC, and New York. She completed her master’s in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts at the George Washington University and her undergraduate studies in Political Science, Jewish Studies, and International Studies at Virginia Tech. Amanda has worked at Hillel, Birthright, OneTable and most recently started a publishing company designing educational tools for Jewish Educators, she is the co-creator of The Jewish Planner. Amanda is thrilled to bring her passion for Jewish education, sustainability, and embodied experiences to the EDCJCC.

Seder FAQ

Joining by Zoom:
Try to log in about 5 minutes before Seder starts to ensure you’re all set up. Make sure you have adequate lighting on your face, not behind you creating shadows. You will be on mute when you enter, and unless you’ve been asked to lead a portion of the Seder, we ask you to remain on mute as long as we are in a full group. When you go to your breakout rooms, you’ll be unmuted and can share at your virtual “table”.

Do I have to be Jewish to attend? (Observant? Old? Young? Ashkenazi? Sephardic? etc.)
Nope. We welcome everyone who would like to join our community-wide Seder and celebrate Passover’s lessons of freedom! In fact, every year, we have a beautiful mix of people. Some are Jewish, some are not. All are welcome, and (if they choose) can easily participate in a variety of ways – singing, reading, discussing ideas, or just generally being among the community.

What if I don’t read Hebrew?
Not a problem. Most of the Seder is in English, and readings in Hebrew also appear in English transliteration.

Is there a dress code? What should I wear?
There is no official dress code. Most people dress as they would for a family Seder or holiday – dressed nicely, a little dressed up, but not overly formally. (For many people that could mean a button-down or sweater, a skirt/dress, a jacket, slacks, etc. Most people do not wear jeans.) Please wear what feels appropriate to you to celebrate the holiday.

Is it appropriate to have kids in the room?
Yes! The Seder is not specifically a “kids” Seder, but our atmosphere is fun and festive! We welcome all who would like to participate.

Was your question not answered? Email Amanda so we can help!

Thinking about growing your family or looking for support after struggling to conceive?

Join us for an informal discussion about different paths to family building. Our panel will include a fetility doctor, representatives from an adoption agency and the DC foster care system, a lawyer who facilitates egg donor and gestational carrier agreements, and parents who have built families in a variety of ways.

After the panel, there will be time for informal connecting and community building.

LGBTQ and straight, couples and single parents, Jewish and non-Jewish — are all warmly welcomed.  Come prepared to ask questions — and plug in for support.

Co-presented by the EDCJCC’s Parenting Center & GLOE – the EDCJCC’s Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and Engagement