“This evening was a testament to the power of dialogue and connection,” said Alex Kats, Jewish Co-chair of CCJ. “By coming together across faiths, we learn from one another and strengthen the bonds that hold our community together. People came with curiosity and left with friendship and kinship.”

For JCCV, the event reflects a strong commitment to long-term interfaith engagement. “Interfaith initiatives such as this remind us of the richness that diversity brings to Victoria,” said Frank Greenstein OAM, JCCV Board Member. “When we share stories, traditions and food, we lay the foundations of trust and friendship. These gatherings encourage us to look beyond differences and focus on what unites us, ensuring that all communities can feel welcome and valued.”

Rabbi Yonatan Sadoff of Kehilat Nitzan highlighted the importance of hospitality and shared traditions, saying, “Opening our doors to friends of many backgrounds and breaking bread with them brought deeper meaning to our festival. It was an incredible and historic gathering of people from diverse communities, an evening of true kinship and bonding. Many of us are eager to take this initiative further, to meet again and expand our efforts for peace, love, justice and compassion.”

The evening was described by many as uplifting — a chance to taste new flavours, hear new stories, and strengthen friendships while creating new ones.

The Pre-Rosh Hashanah Interfaith Seder stood as a living example of how food, music and dialogue can bring people closer together, and of the sweetness that comes when communities connect.