Posted on 04/08/2009 5:51:31 AM PDT by SJackson
US President Barack Obama will celebrate Passover Thursday night with staff and friends in what is believed to be the first White House Seder attended by an American president.
Obama prays at the Western Wall on his visit to Israel. Photo: AP [file] The event was slipped onto the president's public schedule Tuesday night with little fanfare, following a letter signed by Obama earlier in the day wishing Americans who mark the day a "peaceful and relaxing holiday."
While presidential proclamations in honor of Passover have been common throughout the administrations of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, this year's Seder is believed to be the first of its kind.
"I'm really happy to hear about it," said Steve Rabinowitz, who once led a staff Seder in the Clinton White House but didn't know of any White House Seder in which the president had personally taken part before now. "It's been an extremely open White House to all faith communities, certainly including ours."
William Daroff, who runs the United Jewish Communities' Washington office, recalled that former president Franklin D. Roosevelt snuck out the back door of the White House in 1943 to avoid seeing rabbis marching out front to demand US action to save European Jews from the Nazis.
"Sixty-six years later the President of the United States is spending Thursday evening with his friends and family celebrating the liberation and survival of the Jewish people," Daroff noted, calling the event "a testament to how far we have come as a Jewish people in America.
"Jews are a vital component in the mosaic that is American culture and society. Our welcome through the front door, and the dining room door, of the White House speaks to the inclusiveness of today's America and of President Obama," he said. "This night is indeed different from all other nights."
In his letter, Obama called the story of Jews' ascent from slavery to freedom in the Land of Israel as "among the most powerful stories of suffering and redemption in human history," accompanied by rituals and symbols that indicate "the beauty of freedom and the responsibility it entails."
He also said the holiday presented a message for all humankind. "As part of a larger global community, we all must work to ensure that our brothers and sisters of every race, religion, culture and nationality are free from bondage and repression, and are able to live in peace."
He concluded his letter with the traditional Hebrew greeting "chag sameach," or happy holiday.
Though Passover starts on Wednesday evening, Obama will be hosting the second Seder, on Thursday night, apparently so that those in attendance can celebrate with their families on the first night.
The guest list was not immediately available, though it is likely to include top Obama advisors David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel, both of whom are Jewish, as well as some of the key Jewish donors to Obama's presidential campaign.
Rabinowitz said that though he hadn't been invited, "I'm only sorry that I won't be there to see the president and his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel say at the same time, 'Once we were all slaves. Now we are all free.'"
Will the telepromter wear a yarmulke?
I hope he finds Jesus.
Wondering if this is to prepare us for the White House celebration of the holidays of the Religion Of Peace.
there can no pork at an islamic Seder!
bingo. ramadan is next. “I did christmas, I did the Seder, I did Ramadan...who am I?”
A Ramadan celebration would seem reasonable.
Sure he will. Why would this night be any different than the others? /
What no Jewish dilemma?
free ham
Profound. I bet he would wish Americans more for Super Bowl weekend, and much more enthusiastically.
Love that Passover has become a symbol of global unity, peace and freedom! God's chosen were set aside, but, hey, what did He know? Obama knows so much better.
That’s the point - he is clueless and would do such a thing.
I see this as a publicity stunt to mask what he is really doing with Israel and to open the door for celebrating Ramadan too.
When I saw this I thought of the Abomination of Desolation...
Grilled Reubens and Heineken.
Well, at least Daroff showed some courage in blasting FDR's lack of action during the Holocaust, but that apparently is safer than refusing to be an Obama drone.
Meanwhile, Zero does everything in his power to destroy Israel. What a disgrace that any Jew would have this anti-Semite anywhere near them.
The author of your posted article, Hillary Leila Krieger (Jerusalem Post Washington reporter), is known to cozy up with the American Left, judging from quite a number of articles she’s written which I’ve now seen here on FR. So her puff piece on Obama’s WH Seder isn’t very surprising.
(BTW, did you see my Birchat HaChamma post?)
ML/NJ
You’ve got to suck up to get that donation..:)
Why, he hasn't done anything to offend Jews. He has a worldview which imo will be harmful to Israel and the US, but lots of people on the left agree with his viewpoint.
Funny how people here in the US forget that without willing sellers, there could be no buyers, only thieves... A sad part of the history of slavery but true (to this day it still goes on in places).
Meant to include you in post 38. The issues with Obama should relate to policy, policies potentially at least as harmful to the US as Israel, and not directed at Jews. I do think he’s tolerant of antisemites and racists in his midst, but there’s no indication he bears any animosity toward Jews at all.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.