Singapore Jewish community holds first-ever inter-faith Passover Seder
SINGAPORE — Singapore's Jewish community celebrated the Passover on Wednesday evening (30 March) with its first inter-faith Seder, the ritual feast that marks the beginning of the annual religious festival.
The event is part of the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) efforts to enhance religious harmony by promoting greater inclusiveness and fostering a deeper understanding of Jewish traditions and religious rituals among Singapore’s multi-racial and inter-faith communities.
Among the 50-odd guests at the ceremony held at Jacob Ballas Centre were 10 other religious leaders, including Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, the Roman Catholic Church's Archbishop William Goh, and Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation.
They were joined by Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, as well as Central Singapore District mayor Denise Phua and Sagi Karni, Israel's ambassador to Singapore.
Passover, which begins at sundown on 15 April and ends on the evening of 23 April this year, is one of the most celebrated and beloved of Jewish festivals. It recounts the liberation of Jews from slavery and their exodus from Egypt to become a united people.
The Seder feast involves the partaking of ritual foods, reciting of prayers and blessings and the singing of praise songs at the table. Symbolic foods such as a shank bone of lamb or chicken, eggs, herbs, nuts, and vegetables are placed on a special Seder plate.
Rabbi guides through symbolic elements of Seder
Given the many symbolic elements involved in the ritual feast, a Rabbi guided the guests through the ceremony, explaining the customs and significance of the different foods on the table. Guests were also given a guided tour of The Jews of Singapore Museum, which is housed in the Jacob Ballas Centre.
“Passover is a special time for all Jewish families. We are delighted to welcome our guests from the various faiths and communities to observe the Seder ritual with us and to share with them the larger significance of this feast in relation to our faith and spiritual identity," said JWB president Nash Benjamin.
"Such shared experiences will help us to connect more meaningfully with each other, to affirm our ties and deepen our bonds of friendship.”
Guest-of-honour Tong commended the Jewish community for its openness to share what is customarily a private and religious family ritual.
“Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-religious society offers a unique opportunity for us to learn and understand the core tenets underlying the many diverse cultures and faiths around us," he said.
“(The Jewish community's) warm hospitality tonight will serve to further strengthen the mutual trust and respect we have for all our religions and communities in Singapore.”
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