Pitt’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute held a model Seder

Pitt’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a program of the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs providing learning opportunities for older adults, partnered with several local organizations to host a model Seder on March 18.

The event was an interfaith, intergenerational gathering of 40 community members and Osher participants, including students from Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University, the Community College of Allegheny County and Chatham University. The model Seder was an introduction to the ritual feast that also created space for meaningful dialogue and featured foods representing the Jewish diaspora.

“A Seder is a perfect way to share with others who might be less knowledgeable about Jewish traditions because it’s in part about welcoming the stranger to the table,” said Lisa Sharfstein, director of Osher.

The evening was co-hosted by Giving It Forward Together, a nondenominational nonprofit dedicated to fostering intergenerational community volunteerism and connection, with contributions by the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center, the Collaboratory Against Hate, Carnegie Mellon University Chabad and Tzohar Seminary.

— Nichole Faina, photography provided by Giving It Forward Together