Sharing in Each Other’s Stories: Acceptance Melbourne at the Rainbow Seder

On Friday 27 March, several members of Acceptance Melbourne’s committee were honoured to be welcomed into a truly special evening : the Rainbow Seder, hosted by Jewmos, Melbourne’s queer Jewish group, at the beautiful Temple Beth Israel. The event was organised by Jewmos director Jarod Rhine-Davis.

The evening began with Shabbat service at the synagogue, a peaceful and prayerful start that felt instantly familiar in spirit, even if the words and rituals were new to some of us. From there, the gathering moved into the Seder itself. Guided by a thoughtfully crafted Haggadah, the group journeyed through ten stations, each blending ancient ritual with a contemporary lens, reflecting on themes of freedom, belonging, and the ongoing work of liberation for all people.

For those of us from Acceptance, the themes of Passover resonated in ways that felt close to home. The story of a people who have known exclusion and longed for a place to be fully themselves is one that many in our community understand deeply. We were reminded that the struggles of our communities, while distinct, are very much intertwined.

Evenings like this are a wonderful reminder of why interfaith and intercommunity connection matters. We don’t need to share identical beliefs or identical stories to stand together. We just need to show up, listen, and celebrate the rich, joyful reality of being queer and people of faith in this world.

A heartfelt thank you to Jarod Rhine-Davis and everyone at Jewmos for their generosity in including us. We left feeling grateful and more connected than ever to Melbourne’s wider queer faith community.

Chag Pesach Sameach to all who are celebrating. 🌈