Washington, DC – The president and the first lady invited leaders of America’s Jewish community for a Hanukkah reception at the White House next month – but raised more than a few eyebrows by putting a picture of a Christmas tree on the invitation.
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The message reads that the couple “requests the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah reception,” written beneath an image of a Clydesdale horse hauling a Christmas fir along the snow-dappled drive to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
And, no, it is not a Hanukkah bush. A close look at the wagon reveals the message “White House Christmas Tree 2008.”
In the background, the White House windows are festooned with Christmas wreaths.
The incongruity of the message did not go unnoticed.
“It’s absolutely bizarre to receive an invite to the White House for Hanukkah in a Christmas format,” said one person who was invited.
“The should have consulted with their chief of protocol before sending this out. This belongs right in the ‘Weird But True’ column.”
When reached for comment, Laura Bush’s spokeswoman, Sally McDonough, said the White House usually prints separate cards, but in the waning days of the presidency, there had been an oversight.
“Mrs. Bush is apologetic,” she said. “It is something that just slipped through the cracks.”
Its obvious what’s going on here: the Christmas tree is being taken out of the White House and the Menorah is being brought in the back.
shoin shoin nu nu,
Nisht geferlach,,,, surely it was a mistake.
He was a good president in general for the jews. This won;t change it.
And trust me he (G.W. Bush) did personaly take care of the printing.
why the kvetching? you were invited to the Whitehouse if you dont feel that as a privilege then dont go its not a mitzvah to whine all the time.
if this were clinton or obama white house you allwould be sxcreaming carelessness, they dont care, they dont like jews ,etc etc. this type of carless incompetence is so very typical the characteristics of bush himself and al;l the cronies he has had working for him (or not working for him rather) all these last 8 years.
so much for being the “jews best friend” they cant even pretend correctly aymore. BH they are done!
Now we have solid proof that the Bush administration intelligence dept is asleep. Was the fake evidence of Iraqi nuclear facilities also a oversight?
Yeah he is a good person, but he’s a lousy president.
whoever did the card probably thought it was perfectly fine. they are not fine tuned to these kinds of things like us sensitive Yidden.
Haven’t you ever heard of a Chanukah Bush?
A regreatble but understandable mistake in that for many, many Goy the xmas tree has no religeous signifigance whatsoever. It does however have great material siginifigance to the Jewish businesses that cash in on the goy holiday with no misgivings and in some cases decorate their stores for the season.
I have no particular use for Mr Bush but in his White House in the past the Menorah has always come in the Front Door!
Who cares… It’s a Christian nation (for now) and Yashkur’s birthday is one of their holiest days.
While many of us may not agree with R’ Meir Kahane’s A”H view’s, I believe he wanted to ban Chanukah. His logic? Too many Jews identify.celebrate Chanukah more than the true chagim. Chanukah has a huge significance to us because of its great battle for perserving our religion. Yet most Jews only know the Menorah part and they celebrate it so much because of its proximity to Christmas.
This may be extreme, but he was right. I had to explain to my Jewish coworkers what Sukkot is and what Shavuot is. Pesach they knew because they had a seder (basically a meal with no Hagadah), and it was close to Easter. Sukkot? Unless they lived in Brooklyn or some onher area that was densely populate with frum Jews, they had no clue. But none of them knew about Z’man Matan Torateinu. But they made sure they bought 8 presents for each of their kids.
I am just thankful we live in a country where the goverment invites us in to celebrate our religion. So they goofed on the card – big deal.
This has nothing to do with politics, whether you like Bush or not.
Yes, it was a really tacky mistake. But clearly a mistake.
I don’t get too upset about mistakes on an invitation.
What I don’t like is that so many yidden have felt “left out” over the goyishe holiday season and needed to “upgrade” Chanukah into the highest form of Yom Tovk in order to “compete”. To me, Channukah is a beautiful time of year celebrating our tenacious dedication to Torah and mitzvos in the face of pressure to conform by outsiders. Wonderful! At the same, time, it is not a full-fledged Chag d’oraysa like Succos and Pesach, etc. But because of our insecurity living in an andera medina, we now have everyone wishing us a “Happy Hannuka” to go with their own “seasons greetings” and the like.
Yes, it is nice the Pres. Bush makes a Channuka party. He has been a good friend to Israel and yidden, and I am not criticizing him at all for that. But I would rather more Jews recognize other yomim tovim that go ignored outside of frum circles like Sukkos and Shavuous and not need to worry about whether Chanukka is getting “equal time” with the chuggah.
I’m no fan of President Bush, but I am not the least bit offended by this. It was gracious to host a Chanukah event and we can’t expect the 98% to know and cater to all of the sensitivities of the 2%. Further, a tree really is not a religious symbol anymore, but is only a symbol of the season. Indeed, Jewish groups arguing in court to demanding to have menorahs placed with holiday trees on government property argued, successfully, that both are sufficiently secular to not create a problem of state endorsement of religion when placed on government property. We can’t have it both ways.
Anyway the “Hanukah reception” isnt on Chanukah!
Its a whole week before!
Here we go again, we need special treatment. Los up. This is a goyishe world. You were invited for a Hanaka party who cares what picture is on the front. He honors the Yom Tov Hanaka every year and the Lubavitcher Sholiach in DC goes every year to light the menora. It is a great honor.
What it shows is that even the President needed some budget cutting and printed only 1 card design for Chanuka & Xmas!
Give it a rest already. Xmas trees are part of the American landscape this time of year. Show some appreciation that our hosts make such an effort to make us orchim feel so ‘at home’. In a sense, the USA has been the greatest machnis orchim in history. We should find more ways to show our gratitude to them and to G-d for placing us here and find less to complain about.
YOU PEOPLE ARE PATHETIC. Who the hell cares about whether or not there’s a christmas tree on an invitation? Who cares if this was the mistake of Obama Bush Clinton Kennedy Stalin Shmerel… STOP IT ALREADY. Get lives!
Actually Christmas trees aren’t Christian, despite the name. They are pagan symbols that were integrated into Christmas to make Christianity more palatable to pagans, who celebrated the winter solstice around that time of year (December 22nd).
it may be called “the residence,” but it isnt exactly in the living room, it’s more like a large hallway with some paintings on the walls, a room that seemed more like a pass through from the working white house to the residence.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe O.B.M. was very big into this .. I believe his motive was to enhance and rejuvenate Jewish pride and identity (by people seeing this and getting a warm feeling of Jewish pride.) …. Same reason for the Lag b’omer parade (this is not an halachic issue per say).
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actually it was a chanuka BUSH to commemorate PREZ BUSH leaving white house on chanuka
What a bunch of kvetchers, first be happy you were invited to a party at the White House with the President, second their inadvertent mistake just handed you a real rare collectors item
DO u think they serve Latkes? how about Sufguniot? Some ice coffee to go please!