Two Mississippi Museums to Host Passover Freedom Seder
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) will hold the Mississippi Freedom Seder on March 28, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the Two Mississippi Museums. Inspired by the 1969 Freedom Seder, where hundreds of people of all backgrounds gathered to explore and celebrate freedom in the context of the Civil Rights Movement, this communal event invites participants to the Passover table for an evening of commemoration, stories, and community.
“We are pleased to co-host this Freedom Seder with our community partners,” said Katie Blount, MDAH director. “In doing so, we remember the courage of visiting Jewish Freedom Summer volunteers in 1964 and Jewish Mississippians who advocated for racial equality in the Civil Rights Movement.”
“Our Mississippi Freedom Seder in 2019 brought our communities together for conversation and reflection,” said Michele Schipper, CEO of the ISJL. “We are excited to co-host this event again and tell these Mississippi stories.”
This program will feature original music from Lapidus & Myles, a collaboration between Rabbi Micah Lapidus and Mississippi native Melvin K. Myles.
Passover is an eight-day Jewish holiday, referred to as the “festival of freedom.” Passover celebrates the liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. The traditional meal, where the story of Passover is shared along with rituals, readings, songs, and food, is called a Seder. Seders celebrate freedom from bondage and freedom from oppression, providing a shared communal celebration of freedom and friendship for all.
At the first Freedom Seder, held on April 4, 1969, more than 800 people gathered in a church in Washington, DC, to commemorate the first anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death. Using the words of the traditional Passover Seder, calling for justice, peace, and liberation, the 1969 Freedom Seder strengthened Black and Jewish community relations and established a touchstone for contemporary Seders.
This participatory program will include a Passover meal. All are welcome and invited to join us in honoring this historic tradition.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth and are available here. For more information, call 601-576-6800 or email info@twomississippimuseums.com.
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