Challah and Soul’s Second Annual Soulful Seder to Unite Jewish and Latino Communities at Skirball Cultural Center
Groundbreaking event features cookbook author Sandra Gutierrez, live collaborative Haggadah writing & a cross-cultural menu celebrating histories ofresilience
LOS ANGELES , CA, UNITED STATES, March 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Challah and Soul, the nonprofit organization rebuilding historic alliances between communities through food, storytelling and education, will host its second annual Soulful Seder on March 26 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The evening event, running from 6 to 9 p.m., expands its mission this year to honor the alliance between Jewish and Latino communities, building on the inaugural event's groundbreaking exploration of shared Black and Jewish histories.
The Soulful Seder brings together community leaders, elected officials, cultural advocates and the public for an evening of family-style dining, interactive storytelling and collaborative creation of a "living Haggadah" — a shared document that weaves together the stories of liberation, oppression and resilience across cultures.
"When we are out in the Black and Jewish community, what we hear most is, 'If we have so much in common, how come it is still your story and my story?' While we are proudly rooted in Black & Jewish partnership, we are committed to growing into a more intentionally inclusive and welcoming community for all. The living Haggadah that we write, each year, represents that." —Judi Leib
Last year's inaugural Soulful Seder attracted over 150 attendees and featured James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Twitty, food historian Adrian Miller, and actor and educator Joshua Silverstein. The event produced the first-ever collaborative Haggadah incorporating the Black American slavery experience alongside the traditional Jewish Passover narrative. Organizers are targeting 225 attendees for this year's expanded event.
A Cross-Cultural Culinary Experience
This year's Soulful Seder features acclaimed cookbook author, food historian and James Beard Foundation judge Sandra Gutierrez, who will guide attendees through the intersections of Jewish and Latino culinary traditions. Gutierrez is the author of seven cookbooks, with her eighth focusing on Latino and Jewish baking.
The evening's menu reflects the cultural fusion at the heart of the event, featuring a plated Mexican-Israeli salad with nopales, cucumber, tomato and radish in cilantro lime dressing, followed by family-style courses including pepita-encrusted branzino, tamarind chili glazed tzimmes, Israeli couscous with roasted corn and poblano peppers, and chocolate tres leches babka cake.
Writing History at the Table
The centerpiece of the Soulful Seder is the live, collaborative writing of a "living Haggadah" that honors the Latino experience alongside last year's addition of the Black American slavery narrative. Using Mentimeter interactive technology, attendees will contribute their voices and stories in real time. A live scribe will document the Haggadah as it is written, with the completed document available for purchase the following morning.
Afro-Latino Jewish participants Joshua and Cinthya Silverstein will lead the interactive Haggadah creation, guiding attendees through prompts and discussions. Table captains will facilitate smaller conversations at each family-style table, encouraging attendees to share their own stories of oppression, resilience and liberation.
An Evening of Cultural Connection
The evening begins as UCLA's mariachi and klezmer bands perform a collaborative mashup during registration. Guests will enter through an interactive foyer featuring a Tree of Life art project, where each attendee leaves their thumbprint as a leaf on a large canvas painting that will be auctioned at the end of the evening. A $25,000 naming sponsorship opportunity for the Haggadah is available, along with additional sponsorship tiers.
About Challah and Soul
Founded by Judi Leib and Shonda Walkowitz, Challah and Soul is dedicated to rebuilding the historic alliance between Black and Jewish communities — and expanding that mission to include all communities — through food, storytelling and education. Programming includes a partnership with Holocaust Museum LA on teacher development, a student essay contest for Los Angeles students in grades 6 through 12 titled "How Hate Takes Root in a Society: Lessons Learned from the Holocaust," and community Talking Circles facilitating cross-cultural dialogue. The organization has been featured on FOX 5 DC, Good Day Austin on FOX 7, and numerous national media outlets.
WHAT: Challah and Soul's Second Annual Soulful Seder
WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 2026, 6:00–9:00 p.m. (Registration opens at 5:35 p.m.)
WHERE: Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049
TICKETS: Available at challahandsoul.org
SPONSORSHIPS: Naming and tiered sponsorship opportunities available here, or contact challahandsoul@gmail.com
INFORMATION: challahandsoul.org | challahandsoul@gmail.com
Jennifer Rice
JNR Communications
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