Julie Clark and Linda Goodman will once again act as journey leaders for the evening of music, song and dance, which this year includes an art auction to benefit women's charities.

"It's not a traditional Seder," said committee member Cynthia Burgur. "It's evolved to be a more proactive Seder of women's issues and empowerment.

"Julie and Linda are extraordinarily capable," she said. "It will be a one-of-a-kind event."

In preparing for her first involvement four years ago, Julie Clark found that women had written Haggadahs - the traditional Passover story that serves as the seder "script" - but they didn't really celebrate women.

"Women played an important part of the story of the Exodus, but they were being ignored," she said. "So we went from there. Each year, the Women's Seder celebrates women and women's roles in the family and in the world."

Sponsored by The Federation, Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut, with funding by the Marjorie and Howard Drubner Foundation, the Women's Seder is meant to be a community-wide event, open to women of all faiths and all ages.

"It's about healing the world," said Julie. "That's something we all do together."

"I like to think of it as a 'women's night out,'" said Ellen Rosmarin Zwang, who chairs the Seder Committee with Gloria Aronheim. "It's a chance to get together, to connect with other women in a meaningful way."

The event begins with a sumptuous Mediterranean-style meal, including Chicken with Plum Sauce, Sephardic-style matza-ball soup, grilled vegetables, an assortment of salads and fruit accompanied by wine, and Moroccan pastries for dessert.

Following the meal, women gather "in the round" for the Seder program, an explanation of the meaning of Passover underscored by music and dance.

Highlights this year include an original work written by Linda Goodman for bassoon, flute, recorder, kazoo, fiddle and drums, and a group of young dancers who will illustrate the theme of plagues.

"The Femina Melodia Drummers will be involved again," said Julie, "and there'll be chanting, to bring in all the women in attendance."

The focus of the evening, though, will be healing responses to problems that plague women today. Ten women, each dressed in a distinctive way, will read a brief response to the plagues of oppression, of poverty and hunger, of disease and injury and more.

For the modern day plague of depression, Julie explained, the response is a sense of purpose. The plague of anger is contrasted by inner peace; for discrimination, the antidote is acceptance.

"The 10 women will be depicting the feminine energy that contrasts those plagues," she said. "The message is, each one of us has the power to change the world."

This year, for the first time, committee members have gathered an exhibit of original art that illustrates the theme of plagues and how women everywhere can be part of the solution.

Local women, many of whom are renowned artists, were invited to interpret the Biblical plagues through a medium of their own choosing.

Painter Ruth Jaffe chose the first plague - blood - because it appealed to her as a life source. Her impressionistic piece depicts bodies of water tinged with wine.

Evocative of the second plague, Sara Matzkin's coiled clay urn is covered with frogs.

"As representatives of the Goddess of Fertility and the symbolization of life, the younger frogs are less dimensional and the older frogs appear more molten in texture," the potter said. "They ascend the urn, only to fall in, then be raked in heaps of death."

Marilyn Lichtenstein's Japanese-style painting also depicts frogs.

"Frogs can be either beautiful or ugly," she said, "reflecting the ugliness of slavery and the beauty of freedom."

Merri Klar's work will depict flies, which destroyed the Egyptians' livestock and crops; Marilyn Maughan will interpret cattle disease.

To illustrate the plague of boils, quilter Linda Herrmann is contributing an abstract piece depicting Moses and Aaron throwing soot to the sky.

Anita Libeskind chose hail, the seventh plague, for its promise of something sparkling to come. Judy Mirrer's punch needle embroidery will depict the invasion of locusts; Carolyn Falk's work of fused glass will reflect the darkness that descended over the land.

Rachel Barclay chose the 10th plague, death of the firstborn, for its unthinkable raw emotions. Her piece not only honors the Israelite and Egyptian dead, but expresses the ritual acts of hope and faith of the first Passover.

When no artist chose the plague of lice, committee members came up with their own graphic design.

"Lice are thought to attack only those who are poor and unclean, but the opposite is true," they said. "Lice don't care whose blood they suck and whose life is defiled, just as the abuse of women and children is not based on wealth or class."

The exhibit opens Monday, March 16, at the Walzer Campus and continues through the night of the Seder, when the works will be sold in a silent auction.

Proceeds of the auction benefit a series of women's charities, including LISA (Living in Safe Alternatives), Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, the Susan B. Anthony Project in Torrington and local food banks.

Women attending the Seder are encouraged to further support the charities by bringing in non-perishable food items for the food pantries or donating personal care items or new baby items (no toys) for women and children in safe houses and shelters maintained by LISA, Safe Haven and the Susan B. Anthony Project.

Monetary donations in the form of cash or a check made out directly to a particular charity will also be accepted.

Honoring the Biblical story from the Book of Ruth, wherein farmers are commanded to leave crops from the four corners of their fields for the poor, there will be a display in each corner of the room, one for each charity.

"There'll be a box for donations," Ellen explained. "People can bring canned foods for the food banks or toiletries for the women's shelters."

"As women concerned about the world, we all feel we need to support women," said Cynthia.

By raising awareness about the problems that plague today's people, they said, the Women's Seder provides an opportunity for each to do her part to "heal the world."

The cost to attend the Women's Seder is $36 for women, which includes the catered Kosher dinner, and $18 for girls 13 and under.

The event is limited to 160, and organizers expect a sell-out. Those wishing to make reservations may call the Federation office, 203-267-3177, ext. 106.