31st Annual Downtown Seder ft. Steven Bernstein, David Broza, Al Franken, Judy Gold, Richard Kind, and more
City Winery New York City presents the 31st Annual Downtown Seder on April 17th at 7pm. Unable to attend in person? Livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irZQonCfVLE(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)
Special guests include Steven Bernstein, Al Franken, David Broza, Peter Yarrow, AC Lincoln, Richard Kind, Judy Gold, Amichai Lau-Lavie, Dr, Benjamin Chavis, Jr., Terrance Floyd (George's Brother), NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, Dr. Ruth, Jared Freed, Rabbi Tamar Manasseh, and Nicki Richards.(opens in a new tab)
Since 1991, City Winery founder Michael Dorf has produced this celebrity-driven interpretation of this ancient wine dinner party. Every year has local and international issues which resonates with the Passover story and the Palestinian/Israeli conflict which has historical connections could not make this year’s Seder conversations more intense than ever. However, as Jose Andres eloquently stated in his recent NYT op Ed, “Let People Eat” we all share a culture that values food as a powerful statement of humanity and hospitality—of our shared hope for a better tomorrow. City Winery’s Seder takes these ancient symbols of life and hope and transcends the normal script using art, music, humor to bring back some joy while inspiring and feeding our soul.
This annual tradition goes back thousands of years, but our interpretive Seder transcends Judaism and takes the themes within the Passover story of tyrants and governments harboring lethal hatred for outsiders and immigrants, the liberation struggles, the histories of oppression, bigotry, anti-Semitism, even pandemics and plagues represented in the timeless Passover story--and makes it relevant for our time. We need to remember our past and celebrate our freedom with this fun event that allows people to break bread (matzah), drink wine, and laugh, sing, and contemplate the issues of our world.
Our Seder’s have had many artists, actors, comedians, political figures from Perry Farrell to Jerry Stiller, from Dr. Ruth to Congressman Jerry Nadler, from Al Franken singing “Go Down Moses” to Lou Reed reading Marley’s Exodus. Activist Ruth Messinger speaking about Darfur’s genocide to comedian Judy Gold’s annual rendition of Dayyenu. “Half postmodern religious ritual and half cabaret” -Jewish Learning Magazine; “More dreadlocks than yarmulkes, with Lou Reed as the “bad child”, Phillip Glass and more, it felt like a cross between summer camp in the Catskills and a progressive jazz concert,” -The New York Times, April 27, 1997 (That’s right, been doing it a long time!) “The hippest Seder on Earth, more deconstructionist than Reconscructionist” -The Forward
Plant-based multi-course meal and at least 4 glass of vino included.
