Each year, for 14 years, starting in 2006, the Cape Verdean-Jewish Passover Seder brought together as many as 200 Jews and Cabo Verdeans from Massachusetts and Rhode Island to meet face-to-face, share and celebrate their cultures, and explore what they have in common, including their shared history. The event features a unique Haggadah (text) in English and Cabo Verdean Kriolu, with prayers in Hebrew, that incorporates the “journey from slavery to freedom” of both groups. The Seder includes music, youth performances, and symbolic foods from both cultures, and an opportunity for sharing and discussion at the tables.
In 2021, due to the COVID pandemic, the event went entirely virtual – emceed by a Jewish college student in the US and a Cabo Verdean in Praia, Cabo Verde – allowing us to reach people in several countries and in many parts of the US. In 2022, we created a hybrid Seder that included two small, in-person gatherings—one in Boston and one in Praia, Cabo Verde—and a virtual event that linked people across the U.S. and many parts of the world. Presenters joined with live or pre-recorded segments from Israel, France, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Ecuador, and Uganda, as well as Rhode Island, California, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts. Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu opened the international gathering, reflecting on that year’s theme, “Honoring Our Past in Challenging Times.”
In 2023 we again produced a hybrid event, combining a 100-person event in Boston (Roxbury) with a virtual event linking the Roxbury gathering with many people in many places across the globe. There was also a viewing party in Cabo Verde (Mindelo). The 2023 theme was “Traditions That Guide Us.” Addressing the year’s theme were speakers Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson – the first Cape Verdean, first African-born, first formerly undocumented immigrant, and first Muslim to be elected to the Boston City Council – and former Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim – who is Jewish and whose father, Lenny Zakim, was a local civil rights leader in Boston. An additional speaker, Zelinda Cohen, a Cape Verdean scholar with Jewish ancestors, who lives in Cape Verde, spoke via video about the history of Jewish immigration to Cape Verde. Other highlights included the musical collaboration between Cape Verdean recording artist Bino Barros and Jewish klezmer vocalist/accordionist Kaia Berman Peters, who performed two songs, one in Yiddish and one in Cape Verdean Creole. There was also a presentation from members of the Cape Verdean-American Student Association at Brockton High School, reading two poems by Cape Verdean authors. Two young members of the Abayudaya, a group in Uganda that converted to Judaism one hundred years ago, sang via video the traditional Jewish Four Questions in Hebrew.
Tudu anu, durante 14 anos, komesandu na 2006, Seder di Páskua Judaiko-Kabu-Verdianu ta reuni serka di 200 judeus y kabu-verdianus di Massachusetts y Rhode Island pa encontra kara a kara, partilia y selebra ses kulturas, y explora u ki es tên en komun, inkluindu ses stória kompartiliadu. Kel eventu aprezenta un Hagadá (texto) úniku em inglês e kriolu kabu-verdianu, ku orasõns en ebraiku, ki inkorpora “jornada di scravidãu a liberdadi” di ambus grupos. Seder ta inclui múzika, aprezentasons juvenil y komida simbóliku di kes dós kulturas, alén di un oportunidade di partilia y discuson na mezas.
Na 2021, devidu a pandemia di COVID, evento pasa a ser totalmente virtual – aprezentadu pa un estudante universitáriu judeu na EUA y un kabu-verdianu na Praia, Cabo Verde -ki permitinu txiga na pesoas na várius país y na txeu parti di EUA. Na 2022, nu kria un Seder íbridu ki inklui dós pekenu enkontru prezensial – um na Boston y otu na Praia, Cabo Verde – y um evento virtual ki ta liga pesoas na EUA y na txeu otus parti di mundu. Aprezentadores djunta segmentos au vivu ou pré-gravadus di Israel, França, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Equador e Uganda, bem como de Rhode Island, Califórnia, Michigan, Washington, D.C. e Massachusetts. Prezidenti di Kamara di Boston, Michelle Wu, abri kel enkontru internasional, ta refleti sobre tema dikel anu, “Onrandu Nos Pasadu na Tempus Dezafiador”.
Na 2023, nu produzi novamente un evento íbridu, kombinandu un eventu pa 100 pesoas na Boston (Roxbury) ku um eventu virtual ligandu enkontru di Roxbury a monti algen na diferentes lugares di mundo. Teve també un festa di vizualizason na Cabo Verde (Mindelo). Tema di 2023 foi “Tradisons ki ta gianu”. Abordandu tema di anu foi oradores vereadora di sidade di Boston, Tania Fernandes Anderson – primeru kabu-verdiana, primeru naxsidu na África, primero ex-imigrante sem dokumentus y primeru musulmanu a ser eleita pa Kâmara Munisipal di Boston – y antigu vereador di sidade di Boston, Josh Zakim – ki é Judeu y ki pai, Lenny Zakim, era un líder lokal di direitus sivis na Boston. Un oradora adisional, Zelinda Cohen, un akadémika kabu-verdiana ku ansestrais judeus, ki ta vive na Cabo Verde, ki fala através di vídeo sobre stória di imigrason judaiku pa Cabo Verde.
Otus destakes ta inkluí kolaborason musikal entre artista kabu-verdianu Bino Barros y vokalista/akordeonista judia klezmer Kaia Berman Peters, ki interpreta dós kanson, un na iídixe y otu na kriolu kabu-verdianu. Ouve també un aprezentason di membrus di Asosiason di Studantes Kabu-Verdianus-Amerikanus di Brockton High School, ku leitura di dós poemas de autores kabo-verdianus. Dós jovens membrus di Abayudaya, un grupu di Uganda ki konverti pa judaísmo dja ten sem anus, kanta na vídeu kes tradisional Kuatu Perguntas Judaiku na ebraiku.