Join us for a community-wide Juneteenth Seder!
Thursday, June 14th, 5:30pm–8:30pm.
Solar One @ 23rd Street and the East River (Stuyvesant Cove Park), 24-20 FDR Drive, Service Road East, New York, NY 10010. Please see directions note below!
RSVP required here.
This spring, JFREJ is focusing on Black power and liberation, and strategies for investing in the future of Black people, very much including Black Jews of Color. We started by Counting the Omer with the Vision For Black Lives platform. Next, we will be holding a Shavuot for Black Lives. And finally, we will come together as a community, in all our multi-racial, multi-ethnic splendor, for our first-ever Juneteenth Seder! More details to come. Juneteenth is the annual commemoration of the emancipation of Africans and African-Americans from slavery. It was first celebrated on June 19th, 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to Galveston, Texas. Since then, Juneteenth has become a yearly tradition in many Black communities across the United States. The Juneteenth Seder will be a vibrant community event led by Jews of Color, other members of the JFREJ community, and special guests. With art, music, food, and ritual we will celebrate Black liberation, lift up those who are fighting for freedom today, and wrestle with our shared responsibility to invest in Black community-building and leadership.
Important information:
• The event will be kid and family-friendly, with special Juneteenth activities being led for kids of all ages. If you are planning to bring kids to the Juneteenth Seder, please fill out this form to help us prepare.
• The Black Jewish-inspired menu is kosher-style and all vegetarian. It will be cooked with care but not in a kosher or vegetarian kitchen.
• We will be sitting on the ground so please bring picnic blankets, pillows, and anything else you need for your comfort. There will be limited chair and bench seating for those who need it.
• For accessibility requests or questions, email info@jfrej.org.
For every new or renewed membership gift made in response to this email or the night of the Seder, we will be donating $5 to a black-led group organizing for racial justice. Membership is $5 a month or $36 a year, although we encourage you to give as generously as you can. Just write that your gift is in honor of Juneteenth. (If your membership is current you can make a special gift that will also count towards this effort!)
The Juneteenth Haggadah is available for download here
Directions:
GPS is UNRELIABLE when it comes to finding Solar One. We have three locations. You are trying to get to the East River location near 23rd St, NOT the 26th St. or LIC locations.
- By car: Solar One is located at 23rd Street and the FDR Drive in Manhattan. If coming from the north, take the southbound FDR Drive to the 23rd St exit. Make a left turn at the end of the ramp and cross under the Drive heading east. You will see the BP gas station in front of you, and the back of the silver Solar One building and its large yellow banner to the south and east (right next to the river).
- If coming from the south, take the FDR Drive to the 18th St exit and make a right turn onto Ave C at the end of the ramp. Drive north on Ave C to the 23rd St intersection. Make a hairpin right turn in front of the gas station onto the southbound service road (it seems like you can't do it but there is a One Way sign in front of the gas station that affirms that you can). Facing south, you can see the back of the Solar One building as above.
- By public transportation: Take the 6 train to 23rd St. Walk east to Ave C or take the M23 SBS bus to the 23rd St & Ave C stop. Cross under the FDR Drive and walk south to Solar One.
- Take the L train to the First Ave stop. Walk north on First Ave to 20th St, then make aright to walk east on 20th St. Cross Ave C and under the FDR drive and enter Stuyvesant Cove Park. Walk north through the Park until you reach the blacktop area where the event is being held.