Groundbreaking Passover/Easter Series Centers On Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding

“I’m excited by this new chapter in Interfaith relations between these two communities which are long-standing partners. With this unique program, we have the opportunity to model engagement in interfaith dialogue towards advancing religious understanding.” — Rabbi Rob

Rabbi Rob, a long-time interfaith proponent even before he contemplated becoming a Rabbi and spiritual thought leader, has studied comparative religion since childhood. This Spring, Rabbi Rob, together with friend and partner-in-faith Father Andrew McMullen will lead The Jewish Community of Kauai and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, in a unique interfaith series.

This is a first-of-its-kind anywhere series. It brings together both Jews and Christians at a hallowed time of the year for both religions. These two spiritual communities will come together in exciting and innovative dialog, with collaborative teaching and great takeaways. 

A series of four events you’ll want to take part in.

The series of spring workshops begins on March 20 at 9:00 am, then again on April 3, and on April 10 at 9:00 am. These events will take place at St. Michael’s in Lihue and online via Zoom (link to follow).

Passover/Good Friday multi-community worship service.

The culmination of the spring series is our interfaith worship service which will take place on April 15 at 12:00 noon., the date which marks Good Friday for Christians and before the evening on which Passover begins for Jews.

“The Passover and Easter stories are both theological elements worthy of study, and this workshop series will be a blend of creative ideas and presentations from both me and Father Andrew.” — Rabbi Rob

Save These Event Dates

The workshops and the worship service will be available both in-person and on Zoom ( links to follow). Rabbi Rob and Father Andrew will allow time for questions and dialog.

March 20:  Biblical Readings for Passover from TaNaK and Old Testament.

The roots of Passover are in the Book of Exodus wherein God promised to release the Jews from Egyptian captivity. Join us as we explore the concepts of freedom and responsibility in the Exodus narrative. 

April 3: Origins of the Passover Seder and Last Supper.

The Last Supper has been a source of speculation and controversy. From the 16th century Council of Trent to the modern day novel,The DaVinci Code, some have interpreted depictions of Jesus’s last meal to mean that the Last Supper may have been a Passover Seder. We’ll explore this and more. Is there a link?  

April 10: Passover and Easter Are Celebrations of Hope and Transformation.

These are the two holidays in Judaism and Christianity that have the theological means to bring us together in a powerful way. We’ll dig deep and discuss how and what we can learn from each other for the betterment of the world, Tikun Olum.

April 15: Good Friday and Passover Interfaith Service.

Exact time TBA, but we are thinking around noon, so please set the time aside now. You won’t want to miss this event, either in-person or on Zoom. Our groundbreaking service will bring both communities together in inter-religious worship. More details to follow.

Why you should attend.

“I look forward to welcoming others who value interfaith learning to participate either in person or on Zoom. I know that we will all leave more enriched as a result of the exposure to each other's different faith traditions. It is my honor to work side-by-side with Fr. Andrew to break new ground in interfaith learning and worship.” — Rabbi Rob