Freedom Seder LA Brings Together Black, Jewish, and Black-Jewish Leaders for an Evening of Unity and Liberation
LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night in Los Angeles, Zioness Movement along with an extraordinary group of changemakers, artists, clergy, and activists came together for Freedom Seder LA: a powerful evening of reflection, ritual, and relationship-building. Hosted by CNN commentator Van Jones, Bishop-Designate Michael Fisher of Greater Zion Church Family, CAA's Deborah Marcus, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback of Stephen Wise Temple, and Amanda Berman, founder of Zioness, the event, rooted in the traditions of Passover and the story of the Exodus, celebrated Black, Jewish, and Black-Jewish liberation and solidarity.
After a small but deeply meaningful Freedom Seder last Passover, this year's seder offered a profound and emotional opportunity for connection in a turbulent moment during which members of both communities are experiencing intense vulnerability. More than 200 guests enthusiastically participated, including Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, California State Senator Ben Allen, Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Autumn Rowe, singer and rapper Aloe Blacc, actor Marc Feuerstein, Black and Jewish student government leaders, and many others dedicated to building bridges across communities. Held at Stephen Wise Temple, the Seder reimagined ancient rituals through a contemporary lens, creating an opportunity for dialogue around identity, leadership, and freedom.
'It is hard to imagine a more moving or meaningful experience than this,' said Berman. 'Solidarity between Black and Jewish communities is urgent for our safety and our democracy––which is why our identities are being weaponized against each other by people working to keep us apart. Sharing this moment, talking, dancing and reflecting with so many friends, old and new, gave me immense hope and inspiration and a profound reminder of the potential for a better future.'
Van Jones, who has been hosting similar gatherings around the country, believes that 'the story of Exodus unites our communities and creates the foundation of a shared and prosperous future. Freedom Seder was a powerful evening that strengthened bonds, healed divisions and inspired hope and connection. The best people in the Black and Jewish communities have been together for a hundred years –– and we'll be together for a hundred more.'
Attendees engaged in meaningful cross-cultural dialogue around thoughtful prompts tied to traditional seder rituals. From symbolic foods to powerful music and spiritual storytelling, the evening centered the centrality of the Exodus story in Jewish life and faith, and its long-standing connection to Black American liberation movements—from the spirituals of the Civil War era to present-day justice efforts.
Bishop Designate Michael Fisher said, 'This Freedom Seder serves to renew an age-old covenant, and as the template in how we are going to make it through all the things we are seeing in a world that's filled with racism, antisemitism, and hatred. If we keep sitting at each other's tables, we can change the narrative and strengthen the bridges that have always existed between the Black and Jewish communities––and all communities.'
'Bringing people together to share a ritual meal is an incredible way to connect and to learn from one another,' said Marcus, who hosted the first Freedom Seder at her home. 'The story of Exodus – which delivers the Israelites out of slavery and into freedom – is foundational to the Jewish people and one the resonates deeply with many in the Black community. Identifying the in-common experiences of our ancestors, I hope helps to bring us closer together and encourages solidarity. We need each other.'
Rabbi Zweiback noted that the night was 'a sacred weaving of memory and mutual commitment. It's so important, especially now, to spend time listening to one another's stories with curiosity and empathy, asking questions, opening ourselves to new perspectives. This is how we grow. Our stories are deeply intertwined. Our struggles are shared ones. We are better and stronger and freer together.'
About Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy. Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA's diverse workforce identifies, innovates, and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world. Named Most Valuable Sports Agency by Forbes for seven consecutive years, CAA represents more than 3,000 of the world's top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, Olympics and action sports, in addition to coaches, on-air broadcasters, and sports personalities and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, social impact, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities. Founded in 1975, CAA is headquartered in Los Angeles, and has offices in New York, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, London, Munich, Geneva, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Beijing, among other locations globally. For more information, please visit www.caa.com.
About Greater Zion Church Family
It is the mission, drive, and motivation of Greater Zion Church Family to change the world through service to God by way of building a bridge that stretches from the throne of God to the broken lives of mankind. Led by Pastor Michael Fisher, he uses his passion for the word of God and the expansion of the Kingdom of God to propel every thought, action, and deed. He makes every effort to emphasize the importance of education, and utilizes his influences to affect change in the lives of the congregation, the Greater Los Angeles area, the country, and even abroad. Dr. Fisher's preaching style is often labeled 'real, raw, and relevant.' Learn more at https://www.gzcfamily.org/
About Stephen Wise Temple
The mission of Stephen Wise Temple is to make meaning and change the world, which is done in sacred community through ongoing, significant acts of loving kindness and Tikkun Olam (גמילות חסדים-תיקון עולם), the mindful study of Torah and the pursuit of wisdom (תלמוד תורה), worship that inspires, uplifts, and connects us to God (עבודה), and a lifelong commitment to one another, Israel, and the Jewish People (עמיות). The congregation is led by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback. To learn more, visit https://wisela.org/
About Zioness
Zioness is a coalition of Jewish activists and allies who are unabashedly progressive and unapologetically Zionist. Its mission is to equip and inspire Jews and allies to fight for social justice in the US as proud Zionists. It is a grassroots organization with more than 30 chapters across the country, fighting for the advancement of social, racial, economic, environmental and gender justice in America. The organization is committed to fighting for Zionism and the inclusion of Zionists in social justice spaces, because Zionism is itself a progressive value: the movement for liberation and national self-determination of the Jewish people in our indigenous homeland. Zioness is rooted in Jewish values, stands for justice and equality, and fights against all forms of oppression. To learn more, visit https://zioness.org/
View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-seder-la-brings-together-black-jewish-and-black-jewish-leaders-for-an-evening-of-unity-and-liberation-302432502.html
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NEW YORK (AP) — Sly Stone, the revolutionary musician and dynamic showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and '70s and beyond with such hits as 'Everyday People,' 'Stand!' and 'Family Affair,' has died. He was 82 Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, had been in poor health in recent years. His publicist Carleen Donovan said Monday that Stone died in Los Angeles surrounded by family after contending with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other ailments. Formed in 1966-67, Sly and the Family Stone was the first major group to include Black and white men and women, and well embodied a time when anything seemed possible — riots and assassinations, communes and love-ins. The singers screeched, chanted, crooned and hollered. The music was a blowout of frantic horns, rapid-fire guitar and locomotive rhythms, a melting pot of jazz, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, soul and the early grooves of funk. Sly's time on top was brief, roughly from 1968-1971, but profound. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed. From early songs as rousing as their titles — 'I Want To Take You Higher,' 'Stand!' — to the sober aftermath of 'Family Affair' and 'Runnin' Away,' Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say. Stone's group began as a Bay Area sextet featuring Sly on keyboards, Larry Graham on bass; Sly's brother, Freddie, on guitar; sister Rose on vocals; Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini horns and Greg Errico on drums. They debuted with the album 'A Whole New Thing' and earned the title with their breakthrough single, 'Dance to the Music.' It hit the top 10 in April 1968, the week the Rev. Martin Luther King was murdered, and helped launch an era when the polish of Motown and the understatement of Stax suddenly seemed of another time. Led by Sly Stone, with his leather jumpsuits and goggle shades, mile-wide grin and mile-high Afro, the band dazzled in 1969 at the Woodstock festival and set a new pace on the radio. 'Everyday People,' 'I Wanna Take You Higher' and other songs were anthems of community, non-conformity and a brash and hopeful spirit, built around such catchphrases as 'different strokes for different folks.' The group released five top 10 singles, three of them hitting No. 1, and three million-selling albums: 'Stand!', 'There's a Riot Goin' On' and 'Greatest Hits.' For a time, countless performers wanted to look and sound like Sly and the Family Stone. The Jackson Five's breakthrough hit, 'I Want You Back' and the Temptations' 'I Can't Get Next to You' were among the many songs from the late 1960s that mimicked Sly's vocal and instrumental arrangements. Miles Davis' landmark blend of jazz, rock and funk, 'Bitches Brew,' was inspired in part by Sly, while fellow jazz artist Herbie Hancock even named a song after him. 'He had a way of talking, moving from playful to earnest at will. He had a look, belts, and hats and jewelry,' Questlove wrote in the foreword to Stone's memoir, 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),' named for one of his biggest hits and published through Questlove's imprint in 2023. 'He was a special case, cooler than everything around him by a factor of infinity.' In 2025, Questlove released the documentary 'Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).' Sly's influence has endured for decades. The top funk artist of the 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic creator George Clinton, was a Stone disciple. Prince, Rick James and the Black-Eyed Peas were among the many performers from the 1980s and after influenced by Sly, and countless rap and hip-hop artists have sampled his riffs, from the Beastie Boys to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. A 2005 tribute record included Maroon 5, John Legend and the Roots. 'Sly did so many things so well that he turned my head all the way around,' Clinton once wrote. 'He could create polished R&B that sounded like it came from an act that had gigged at clubs for years, and then in the next breath he could be as psychedelic as the heaviest rock band.' A dream dies, a career burns away By the early '70s, Stone himself was beginning a descent from which he never recovered, driven by the pressures of fame and the added burden of Black fame. His record company was anxious for more hits, while the Black Panthers were pressing him to drop the white members from his group. After moving from the Bay Area to Los Angeles in 1970, he became increasingly hooked on cocaine and erratic in his behavior. A promised album, 'The Incredible and Unpredictable Sly and the Family Stone' ('The most optimistic of all,' Rolling Stone reported) never appeared. He became notorious for being late to concerts or not showing up at all, often leaving 'other band members waiting backstage for hours wondering whether he was going to show up or not,' according to Stone biographer Joel Selvin. Around the country, separatism and paranoia were setting in. As a turn of the calendar, and as a state of mind, the '60s were over. 'The possibility of possibility was leaking out,' Stone later explained in his memoir. On 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),' Stone had warned: 'Dying young is hard to take/selling out is harder.' Late in 1971, he released 'There's a Riot Going On,' one of the grimmest, most uncompromising records ever to top the album charts. The sound was dense and murky (Sly was among the first musicians to use drum machines), the mood reflective ('Family Affair'), fearful ('Runnin' Away') and despairing: 'Time, they say, is the answer — but I don't believe it,' Sly sings on 'Time.' The fast, funky pace of the original 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' was slowed, stretched and retitled 'Thank You For Talkin' to Me, Africa.' The running time of the title track was 0:00. 'It is Muzak with its finger on the trigger,' critic Greil Marcus called the album. 'Riot' highlighted an extraordinary run of blunt, hard-hitting records by Black artists, from the Stevie Wonder single 'Superstition' to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' album, to which 'Riot' was an unofficial response. But Stone seemed to back away from the nightmare he had related. He was reluctant to perform material from 'Riot' in concert and softened the mood on the acclaimed 1973 album 'Fresh,' which did feature a cover of 'Que Sera Sera,' the wistful Doris Day song reworked into a rueful testament to fate's upper hand. By the end of the decade, Sly and the Family Stone had broken up and Sly was releasing solo records with such unmet promises as 'Heard You Missed Me, Well I'm Back' and 'Back On the Right Track.' Most of the news he made over the following decades was of drug busts, financial troubles and mishaps on stage. Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock & Roll of Fame in 1993 and honored in 2006 at the Grammy Awards, but Sly released just one album after the early '80s, 'I'm Back! Family & Friends,' much of it updated recordings of his old hits. He would allege he had hundreds of unreleased songs and did collaborate on occasion with Clinton, who would recall how Stone 'could just be sitting there doing nothing and then open his eyes and shock you with a lyric so brilliant that it was obvious no one had ever thought of it before.' Sly Stone had three children, including a daughter with Cynthia Robinson, and was married once — briefly and very publicly. In 1974, he and actor Kathy Silva wed on stage at Madison Square Garden, an event that inspired an 11,000-word story in The New Yorker. Sly and Silva soon divorced. A born musician, a born uniter He was born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, and raised in Vallejo, California, the second of five children in a close, religious family. Sylvester became 'Sly' by accident, when a teacher mistakenly spelled his name 'Slyvester.' He loved performing so much that his mother alleged he would cry if the congregation in church didn't respond when he sang before it. He was so gifted and ambitious that by age 4 he had sung on stage at a Sam Cooke show and by age 11 had mastered several instruments and recorded a gospel song with his siblings. He was so committed to the races working together that in his teens and early 20s he was playing in local bands that included Black and white members and was becoming known around the Bay Area as a deejay equally willing to play the Beatles and rhythm and blues acts. Through his radio connections, he produced some of the top San Francisco bands, including the Great Society, Grace Slick's group before she joined the Jefferson Airplane. Along with an early mentor and champion, San Francisco deejay Tom 'Big Daddy' Donahue, he worked on rhythm and blues hits (Bobby Freeman's 'C'mon and Swim') and the Beau Brummels' Beatle-esque 'Laugh, Laugh.' Meanwhile, he was putting together his own group, recruiting family members and local musicians and settling on the name Sly and the Family Stone. 'A Whole New Thing' came out in 1967, soon followed by the single 'Dance to the Music,' in which each member was granted a moment of introduction as the song rightly proclaimed a 'brand new beat.' In December 1968, the group appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and performed a medley that included 'Dance to the Music' and 'Everyday People.' Before the set began, Sly turned to the audience and recited a brief passage from his song 'Are You Ready': "Don't hate the Black, don't hate the white, if you get bitten, just hate the bite.'
