Jewish Community Center of Washington, DC

Second Night Community Seder 2017

Date:
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Time:
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location:
Edlavitch DCJCC
1529 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036

Seder Plate

Passover celebrates freedom of all kinds: past, present, and future; national; and personal.

At the Seder we find joy in intergenerational community, storytelling and song. This year, please join our wonderful community-wide Seder, the open, welcoming, pluralistic celebration of freedom you’ve come to expect from the EDCJCC.   

We’ve set the Seder to start earlier this year to make it easier for young families to join us, and as always, we welcome interfaith, LGBTQ, and other traditionally marginalized voices to our Seder table. Our Seder, led by Rabbi Ben Shalva and Sara Shalva, the EDCJCC's Chief Program Officer of Jewish Life and Learning, will be full of new friends, joyous singing accompanied by a guitar, big ideas, and fascinating discussions. The Seder will also feature a delicious (and kosher) traditional Passover meal. 

Whether this is your first Seder or your 100th, there's a place at our Passover table for you!

Registration will close on Friday, April 7 at 5 pm. 
Walk-ins will be welcomed at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis depending on our available space. Payment must be presented at the door and is by credit card only.
 

If the cost of the seder prevents you from registering, please contact Darya Watnick at daryaw@edcjcc.org or at 202-777-3259.

Rabbi Ben Shalva

About Rabbi Ben Shalva:
As a rabbi, writer, meditation teacher, and yoga instructor, Benjamin Shalva leads seminars around the world in Spiritual Cross-Training, Kabbalah Yoga, Jewish Meditation, and Mindfulness Meditation. He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and his yoga teacher certification from the Yogic Physical Culture Academy in Los Cabos, Mexico. Shalva serves on the faculty at the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington and leads musical prayer services for the 6th & I Historic Synagogue and Bet Mishpachah in Washington, DC. His writings have been published in the Washington Post, Success Magazine, Elephant Journal, and Spirituality & Health magazine. He is also the author of two books: Spiritual Cross-Training: Searching through Silence, Stretch, and Song, published by Grand Harbor Press in January 2016, and, most recently, Ambition Addiction: How to Go Slow, Give Thanks, and Discover Joy Within, published by Grand Harbor Press in November 2016. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he lives in Reston, Virginia, with his wife, Sara Shalva, and their children.

sara shalva headshotAbout Sara Shalva: 
Sara Shalva is the Chief Program Officer, Jewish Life and Learning at the Edlavitch DCJCC. In this role, she works to infuse joyful Jewish content into all programs and departments. Sara graduated cum laude from Mary Washington College with a BA in Political Science, and, as a Taub Fellow, from NYU with dual masters in Nonprofit Management and Judaic Studies. Over the last fifteen years Sara has split her time between Israel and the United States, working in formal and informal educational and administrative settings serving teens and adults in the Jewish community and beyond.   In Israel Sara volunteered on Project Otzma, studied at Pardes, and served as the Development Associate for Hebrew Union College’s Jerusalem campus. In the United States, she served as the Director of Enrollment Management at Hebrew College and as the Executive Director of Limmud New York.  More recently, she became a certified Bikram yoga teacher and taught yoga full time, consulting for Jewish nonprofits and teaching in Jewish settings part time. In Jewish communal work Sara focuses on leadership development, recruitment, strategic management, conference planning, program development, budgeting and organizational change. Sara lives in Reston with two children and her husband Rabbi Benjamin Shalva.

Seder FAQ

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 most readings in Hebrew also appear in English transliteration.

What about dinner? Is it kosher?
There is a delicious catered dinner at the community wide Seder. As with all DCJCC events, the food we serve is kosher, as well as this meal being kosher-for-Passover. It is a meat meal. And of course, dessert! Please let us know about any allergies in your registration.

Accessibility?
We're happy to provide ASL or other interpretation upon advance notice. The Edlavitch DCJCC building is wheelchair/mobility device accessible. If you need other accommodations to allow you to fully participate in the Seder (or simply have questions), please let us know in advance and we'll be happy to help.

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 bring kids?
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 Darya or call 202-777-3259 so we can help!

We're sorry, the deadline for online sales has passed. Contact program staff listed above to purchase by phone.

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