Passover starts this year at sundown on Wednesday, April 5. A sacred holiday for the Jewish people, congregations this year are taking extra precautions ahead of this year’s holiday after antisemitic incidents have reached a record high in the United States. Joining host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on this week’s State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, is Rabbi Jonah Pesner, who serves as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism. The two discuss Passover, its traditions, and why its lessons still resonate today.

Jonah Pesner has led the Religious Action Center since 2015. An advocate for social justice, interfaith leader, and among the most influential rabbis in America, his work focuses on encouraging Jewish communities to reach across lines of race, class, and faith to achieve social justice. He is dedicated to building bridges to confront antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate, and we’re privileged to have him on the show this week.