(JTA) — Republicans and Democrats from the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate were among the 33 lawmakers who joined MAZON, a Jewish anti-hunger advocacy group, for a Seder that focused on how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated hunger.
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, as the group is formally known, said its annual Seder for lawmakers drew a record number of participants. Thursday’s ritual meal made its virtual debut, featuring live and video messages. Previous Seders have been held on Capitol Hill.
There were Jewish and non-Jewish lawmakers among the celebrants.
“This year we will add another story of suffering to our Seder because this year we’ve witnessed a modern-day plague that has struck down more than half a million of our friends, family members, neighbors and fellow Americans, as well as millions around the globe,” said Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., a freshman congresswoman who once led the Jewish Federations of North America.
MAZON was among the groups that advocated for the inclusion of food assistance funds in the recently passed $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package.
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