Florida: Seder Offers Hope to HIV, AIDS Patients

Marc Paige and Andrew Katzen, who moved last year from Rhode Island to Fort Lauderdale, wanted to continue their tradition of holding a Passover Seder for people with HIV/AIDS. Their idea resonated with Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs, director of the Jewish Healing Center (JHC), which oversees the nonprofit Jewish AIDS Network where both men volunteer.

As a result, JHC is organizing the Seder of Hope with an interfaith team of community religious leaders. The Seder celebrates freedom from slavery, a message that Jacobs said is linked to freedom from HIV/AIDS.

For Paige, who first came up with the idea of a special service 10 years ago, the ritual of the Seder is another reminder that AIDS is still a threat. "There's a lot of complacency around AIDS today because we have drugs that are keeping people alive longer," he said. "People need to realize that it's a very serious illness and the drugs have very serious and unpleasant side effects. People are still dying. Prevention is still very important." The men are also helping organize a similar event in Providence, R.I., on March 28.

A specially created Haggadah, a book that tells the story of the Jews' flight from bondage in ancient Egypt, will be used for the service, incorporating the words of well-known people who have died of AIDS, Paige said. Panels from the South Florida Names Project AIDS quilt will also be on display.

The Seder of Hope, which is expected to draw about 100 participants, will be held at 6 p.m. March 21 at the Soref Jewish Community Center, 6501 W. Sunrise Blvd., in Plantation. Reservations are required; telephone 954-370-2140.

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