‘B-List Seder’ To Raise Money In Coronavirus Fight

Last Saturday night, a bunch of A-list celebrities – some Jewish, some not – helped raise millions of dollars for the CDC Foundation with the Saturday Night Seder.

Lea Kalisch watched and not only wondered why she wasn’t part of the livestreamed event – she said “I could do this myself.”

So, with the help of her boyfriend – Temple Israel Rabbi Tobias Moss – and a global cast of friends, they are putting on the B-List Seder on Facebook Live. The event is Wednesday, April 15 at 5 p.m., and like the original online show, will also be raising money for the CDC Foundation.

“It wasn’t hard to get people involved,” said Kalisch, herself a musician, singer, and actress. “But it’s hard to get people to stick with it to the end. Since we aren’t doing a whole hour, we went for quality [of show] over quantity [of people].”

Said Moss: “Saturday night was awesome, but there is so much talent out there that is Jewish. We’re putting our spin on it but fundraising for the same goal It’s a continuation of the Saturday Night Seder, not a usurpment.”

Moss and Kalisch have been pulling all-nighters since deciding to go ahead with the event. The show will be at the most 30-minutes, and the pre-produced content wasn’t due to arrive until last night.

The show will include Instagram Comedian Leah Forster, Cantors Josh Breitzer, Sarah Myerson, and Bryce Megdal, Klezmer musicians Ilya Shneyveys and Jordan Hirsch; music producers Shua Sorscher (LA), Enat Ventura (Israel), David el Shatran (Paris, leads JewSalsa); actors Rosie Moss, Hannah Goldman, and Twin Cities local Avi Aharoni.

Kalisch has been producing “Quarantine Complaint Raps” on Facebook, and Moss said that she has taken a lot of creative energy out of being stuck at home.

“This is an outgrowth of that,” he said. “But for me, the last night of Passover is usually missed. What if this becomes an annual tradition? This will have poignancy.”