Last week, on the first night of Passover, 25 GesherEU members got together to celebrate a special Seder.
Founder Emily Green welcomed members to her home to enjoy a traditional – but non-religious and informal – Passover meal, with Matzah, bitter herbs and salt water. Guests brought tasty dishes to share, and everyone chatted and sang together.
Event organiser, Moishy Wajnsztok, said the evening was important for members, who often find Passover a difficult time of year because they are estranged from their own families: “Jewish holidays can be hard for people, as it reminds them what they’ve lost,” he explains. “Our Seder helped to give them back that sense of family and belonging, and to mark the occasion without all the enforced religious ritual that characterise Seders in the community. Several members said coming to our chilled Seder helped turn a negative into a positive for them.”