Passover Story Told in 4 Languages at Jewish-Latino Seder

About 300 people celebrated an early Passover in four languages Wednesday.

There was Hebrew, the traditional language of the Jews in which many of the Seder prayers were recited. English translations were provided for those with limited knowledge of Hebrew. Several songs were sung in Ladino, a combination of Spanish and Hebrew spoken by 15th-century Spanish Jews. And, finally, the whole service was repeated in Spanish for the large number of worshipers who were Latino Catholics.

“We are sharing our similarities,” said Rabbi Shelton Donnell, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana and an organizer of Orange County’s second annual Jewish-Latino Passover Seder sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League and the Diocese of Orange. “The Hispanic community here is one of the largest--this is an important outreach that builds strong community relations.”

Msgr. Jaime Soto, the recently appointed auxiliary bishop of Orange who helped Donnell officiate over the service at the Marywood Center in Orange, agreed. “For us,” he said, “this is an opportunity to express our wish for solidarity with other communities.”

In part, Soto said, the event was boosted by the pope’s recent visit to the Holy Land and expressions of support for both the Jewish and Palestinian communities. “For many here,” he said, “this will be the first opportunity to sit across the table from someone of the Jewish faith. It expresses our hope that the new century will be marked by efforts to work together to understand each other to heal the tragic wounds of the past.”

During the two-hour service, the story of Passover--which celebrates the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago--was repeated in the various languages. Passover, which begins this year on April 19, refers to the Angel of Death “passing over” Jewish homes while inflicting a painful plague on Egypt for enslaving the Jews.

“The Passover story,” Soto said, “is repeated over and over again in the lives of men and women discovering the underlying hope that is the Passover story. It’s about the trust we have that God is leading us to a better place.”

That message seemed to be implicit in the service as the celebrants, serenaded by a mixed choir of Roman Catholics and Jews accompanied by Spanish guitar, shared the traditional blessings over the wine, broke matzo--the unleavened bread representing the Jews’ speedy flight from Egypt--and winced after eating horseradish, symbolizing the harshness of slavery.

The message seemed not to be lost on the participants either.

“It’s the first time I’ve come, and it’s delightful,” said Alba H. Ramiro, a La Habra real estate agent active in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. “Next time I’m going to bring my friends and family. It’s a beautiful experience that enriches my Catholic faith.”

Sitting next to her, Joe Siegel, a Jewish resident of Huntington Beach, remembered last year’s event. “I sat at a table with six nuns and had the time of my life,” he said.