The Shalom Center is creating a 40th Anniversary New Interfaith Freedom Seder for the Earth to help us free ourselves from the greatest dangers of our time: the dangers of global scorching, the climate crisis, enormous disruptions of human civilization, and massive species extinctions.
The New Freedom Seder, a specially transformed retelling of the Exodus from slavery under Pharaoh, will especially draw on the ancient story of the Ten Plagues. Each of them was an ecological disaster brought on by Pharaoh's hard-heartedness, stubbornness, and addiction to his own power. Each of them shattered human society as well as the fruitful earth.
What are the Ten Plagues endangering the earth and human life today; who/what are the Pharaohs of today imposing these plagues upon us; and what are the Ten Blessings we ourselves can bring to heal the earth and our own societies?
Plans and organizing are already under way for a flagship Seder for the Earth in Washington, DC, on March 29. If you want to take part in the Washington Seder, it is necessary to register by clicking on the Freedom Seder logo on the top right margin of our Home Page at www.shalomctr.org If you want to hold a New Freedom Seder in your own community, please write me at Awaskow@shalomctr.org
In 1969, the original Freedom Seder (which I wrote), held in Washington on the first anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, broke precedent by linking the liberation struggle of ancient Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh with the modern liberation struggles of Black Americans and other communities.
The Fortieth Anniversary Freedom Seder will focus on how to move past the top-down pharaonic powers --- Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Auto -- that today are blocking the path toward a promised land of sustainable community nourished by sustainable sources of energy. The Seder will be a beginning for some, a continuation for others. In any case, it will not be an end in itself. Participants will decide how they themselves can take further action to heal earth and humanity from these dangers.
For more information on this Freedom Seder for the Earth, click to our Home Page at www.shalomctr.org <http://www.shalomctr.org> . There you will find the video of my talk for the closing of the Uppsala conference -- called "Facing the Pharaohs of Global Scorching," below it an article on the Freedom Seder, old and new, and at the top right-hand margin the gateway to taking part -- which is a powerful graphic from the cover of the original Freedom Seder.
Shalom, salaam, peace -
Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Awaskow@shalomctr.org