GREATER SEDER EVENT NOW PART OF TAMPA JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES
Tampa Jewish Family Services and the “Kosher Hams,” the informal group that writes and performs the Greater Seder every year, are pleased to announce that Greater Seder will now be produced under the auspices of TJFS. Greater Seder is an “alternative” second night Seder, designed principally for Jews in the Tampa Bay Area who are not necessarily affiliated with any particular synagogue or temple, or who want to experience a different type of Passover celebration. Each year, the Seder itself is presented in the form of an originally written musical comedy, in which the Kosher Hams interweave their own comedy skits and song parodies with the blessings, prayers and stories of Passover. Since its founding in 2006, attendance at Greater Seder has increased steadily; over 240 persons attended “Hoe Down Moses”, the 2013 Greater Seder event.
For many years, the net proceeds from Greater Seder events have been donated to Tampa Jewish Family Services’ Community Food Bank. The Greater Seder has been a strong supporter of TJFS, and the agency has been a key sponsor of Greater Seder for several years. This partnership set the stage for a logical progression for Greater Seder to be brought “in house” to Tampa Jewish Family Services.
Under this new arrangement, Tampa Jewish Family Services will be able to directly perform administration and marketing functions for Greater Seder, freeing up the Kosher Hams to do what they do best: write and perform a musical comedy Seder. Greater Seder, in turn, will effectively convert from an unofficial TJFS fundraiser to an official fundraising event for Tampa Jewish Family Services. This conversion is significant: with TJFS being a 501(c)(3) corporation, all donations collected by Greater Seder – particularly sponsors’ and patrons’ donations – will be tax deductible (to the extent permitted by law); so it is expected that this new relationship will result in a higher level of donations to TJFS than Greater Seder was able to generate on its own.
The 2014 Greater Seder will be performed on the second night of Passover, April 15, 2014. See www.greaterseder.com or www.tjfs.org for more information.