Celebrating Deliverance
Freedom and diversity are the themes of the Council for Unity's multicultural seder
by Diane Zorcik
Linked by hope, 300 students from city schools throughout Brooklyn broke Matzoh and shared wishes for a better world at the 10th annual Passover seder sponsored by the Council for Unity in Starett City.
Held last week at the Spring Creek Recreational Center, the multicultural event was attended by elementary, junior high and high school students from Bensonhurst to Canarsie. Also invited were yeshiva girls from Be'er Hagolah Institutes for Russian émigrés and senior citizens from the Starrett chapter of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged.
The public school students- all members of the council- came together to "have fun, learn about different cultures and ceremonies, so we can work together and stop prejudice," said Chad Plaines, a seventh grader at I.S.364.
It was a far cry from other events that month-fatal shooting of a yeshiva student on the Brooklyn Bridge and the slaying of two high school students by gang gunfire at a Bronx neighborhood softball game that week.
"The issue of deliverance from slavery affects all of us for we are all potentially enslaved- by drugs, by violence, by fear, by racism. These are the new pharaohs that we as council members must overcome," said Robert De Sena, executive director of the council.
Founded in 1975 by De Sena, a retired English teacher, to stem gang activity at John Dewey High School, the program has grown to 35 chapters with 2000 members nationwide.
"It's wonderful to see senior citizens, public school kids, yeshiva kids all coming together to take part in a ritual that many don't even know but are willing to learn," said Cole Ettman, student cultural coordinator of the council.
A senior at Dewey H.S., Ettman conducted the seder with Rabbi Daniel Fingerer, a representative of Brooklyn Borough president Howard Golden. Other speakers were Justine M. Luongo, Council Director of Program Operations, and Linwood Smith, representative of Alan Hevesi, New York City comptroller
Consisting of symbolic foods and biblical stories surrounding exodus from Egypt, readings from the Haggadah by students and a full-course meal, the seder offered students opportunities to get to know each other.
"It's very nice to socialize with different people from different schools. I understand more about Jewish culture than before," said Khami Eodumegwuhu, 15, sophomore at South Shore High School, sporting a bright green yarmulke made available at the seder.
Born in Ghana, Eodumegwuhu says his life has changed since he founded the council. "Sometimes I would get depressed when some people would say stuff about me and now I come here and it's different. Everyone here is so joyful and I have a whole new meaning of life."
The story of Passover and struggle against oppression was familiar to many at the seder who said they know what it's like to be put down.
"Sometimes I hear people say 'Get out of here, you Russian.' And I feel sad," Alex Kozlovsky, a seventh grader at I.S. 281, whose family is from Russia. "In the council they teach you to be nice to others and about other cultures so [you won't] be prejudiced."
"I'm happy we could all get together and have such a nice time and other people could learn about the Jewish religion because some people think that we are bad, but we are just like other people. We want peace," said Irina Kantorovich of P.S.177, who is Jewish.
"The killing has got to stop," said Thasheen Perry of I.S. 364, reflecting on violence in today's society. "You never know when you might wind up with a bullet in your head. The council is a good thing to help us learn. Our motto is 'don't fight it out, talk it out.'"
"We are beginning to see that once violence starts it never ends, and somewhere along the line we have to work together to make sure it stops," comments De Sena. Somebody has got to say 'enough'. Somebody has got to put revenge aside and take the high ground and say 'I will not seek revenge. It ends here. I'm the last victim.'"
Equipped with knowledge, tolerance and respect for other cultures and religions, the council is helping to build bridges of trust for future cooperation, all agreed.
"It's very important to have something like this, especially now when everyone needs to get along," said Rebecca Greene, president of the Starret City JASA center. "The seniors are very excited to be with the kids. This is something they will always remember."
"We're learning how to solve racial problems and conflicts in the world and trying to make citizenship better in the United States," said Andre Mitchell of P.S. 246. "We're trying to show people that underneath the skin there is a beating heart and you have to like people for what they are and not their color."
"It's good to be able to mix and not be racial," noted Helen Munro, 14 of South Shore High, who is from Grenada. "In the holocaust, they wanted to get rid of the Jews. Here we make friends and get to know about different people and their language, religion, and culture."
Warning students about seeds of hate and those who feed off it, Rabbi Fingerer said, "when people become filled with fear and suspicion, they don't know how to handle it. Instead of educating, learning and sharing, they enslave. The Jews experienced slavery for 210 years because God wanted us to experience what it meant to be enslaved so we could bring the message to the world that no person should ever be enslaved. That's why when you hear radicals get up and make a statement like Louis Farrakhan did, who said 75 percent of slave owners were Jewish, it can't be."
Robert Schweitzer, council adviser and teacher at I.S. 281, said an important part of the council's work is to dispel stereotypes.
"Situations like this will help dissipate some myths some people may have," said Schweitzer, explaining that when he first arrived at the seder a student asked him if he was Jewish. Answering yes, the student proceeded to ask: "Are you rich?"
"There is a lot of misconception out there," said Schweitzer. "[Students] learn it from family, home and outside experiences they have. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know whom to believe and they pick a role model to look up to and it may not be a positive role model."
Before departing for their home schools, students were invited to write wishes on small pieces of scrap paper to be delivered to the Western Wall of Jerusalem.
The messages will be carried by Ettman during the March of the Living, which takes Jewish teens through death camp sites in Poland to Independence day festivities in Israel. Ettman, whose grandparents survived Nazi death camps, will participate in the tour as an Uri Savir Champion of Peace Award recipient.
"Just getting these wishes from these kids and to know they're so interested makes me happy," said Ettman. When he returns he will speak to the chapters on the lessons of the Holocaust. Future plans include setting up a council chapter at SUNY-Buffalo, where Ettman plans to enroll as a freshman this fall.
Most of all, it's important to keep hope alive, said John Perez of P.S. 177, because, "If we believe in it, maybe someday it will come true."
