1969 Freedom Seder
A seder that took place in 1969 on the one year anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. It was written by Arthur Waskow and attended by African Americans and whites, Jews and Christians. Some have said this was the first Freedom Seder, but there were some seders on the theme of freedom and civil rights held earlier in the century as well. In each case, the purpose of these seders was to politicize the seder experience, making it more relevant, and to cement the bond between Jews and other oppressed peoples. Today, Freedom Seders linking the themes of Passover to various liberation movements are held in many communities.