The Blogs: Holy Passover: Kosher Barbie Meets Archbishop Thomas Wenski

For Passover, this year I attended a unique Community Leadership Seder, with more than 140 diplomats, legislators, media representatives, academics, interfaith partners, and community leaders, hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) of Miami and Broward.

Growing up in a Hasidic community in Jerusalem and now living in the United States, I have become a bridge builder, bringing together different ethnicities and cultures through my advocacy for Israel.

I never dreamed I would one day meet someone as prominent as Archbishop Thomas Wenski. Yet, there I was, in the presence of a highly respected leader whose advocacy for the Jewish community truly inspires me.

The Archbishop spoke about the importance of fighting antisemitism. He emphasized the crucial need for individuals from all backgrounds to unite against hate. His dedication to fostering relationships among different communities is widely recognized and reflects his unwavering commitment to raising awareness about antisemitism while advocating for the rights and dignity of Jewish people.

“Antisemitism is a sin. The relationship of the Catholic Church to Jews has changed dramatically in the past 80 years… it has led us to see Jews as our elder brothers in their faith, not as enemies,” Archbishop Wenski shared.

At the Seder, we took a moment to honor each of the 59 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, praying for their true freedom.

The four questions of the Haggadah were beautifully presented in several languages by representatives from various consulates, creating a truly multicultural Seder experience. Hebrew by Deputy Consul General of Israel, Ayellet Black; Spanish by Deputy Consul of Argentina, Jose Grande Perez; German by Deputy Consul General of Germany, Klaus Bormann; French by Deputy Consul General of France, Rebecca Bourgin; Arabic by the Trade Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Rose Sager; Albanian by Honorary Consul of Albania, Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian; and Italian by Consul General of Italy, Michele Misto.

Among all the great representatives and leaders, I had the privilege of meeting the inspiring Rose Sager, a trade representative of Bahrain who is also Jewish. She told me that Bahrain is a country where all religions enjoy freedom and where Jewish traditions are practiced and accepted.

“In Bahrain, we had an authentic formal seder reading the Haggadah in Arabic, complete with all the proper readings and songs,” Sager shared.

Bahrain is one of the signatories of the Abraham Accords and serves as a model of peaceful coexistence and religious freedom. The King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence was established by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to realize His Majesty’s vision of promoting values such as peace, harmony, and religious freedom. The Centre asserts that these valuable principles can transform conflicts into peace and replace ignorance and fear of others with understanding and mutual respect.

This extraordinary Seder demonstrated the strength of unity, as leaders from all faiths came together to acknowledge the liberation of the Jewish people from Egypt and reaffirm our shared commitment to freedom and the resilience of the nation of Israel.