Washington – “Pass the matzo, please,” President Obama seems to be saying as he makes history last night — becoming the first sitting president to host a White House seder.
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Obama, joined by First Lady Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha, presided over the traditional Passover service and dinner, sending a signal that he is fulfilling his promise that Jewish Americans would have an ally in the White House. The White House said the seder, in the family dining room of the Executive Mansion, included the traditional matzo, bitter herbs, roasted egg and greens.
Who’s who in the photo: From the President’s left is Samantha Tubman (she came to the original one in Harrisburg and now works for Social Secretary Desiree Rogers)…. Next to Tubman is Melissa Winter (deputy chief of staff for First Lady Michelle Obama) then First daughters Sasha, and Malia, then the First Lady.
Next to the First Lady is deputy White House counsel Susan Sher, and next to Susan Sher (out of view) are her sons Evan Moore and Michael Cohen, top White House advisor Valerie Jarrett and Obama pal and University of Chicago Medical Center honcho Eric Whitaker (who you can’t see).
On the other side of the table, to the President’s immediate right, is Susan Sher’s husband Neil Cohen. Next to him is Laura Moser (Arun Chaudhary wife), then White House videographer Arun Chaudhary, Vice President Biden aide Herbie Ziskend (Chaudhary and Ziskend were at Harrisburg) Eric Lesser, Lesser’s father, Martin Lesser, Deputy Director of Advance Lisa Kohnke, Mrs. Obama’s personal aide, Dana Lewis, and Obama personal assistant Reggie Love.
What a kiddush hashem to have a President who is makayem the mitzvah of pesach; i wonder whether they koshered the whole white house kitchen for this event or they had the caterer bring in shmurah matzoh and kosher for pesach meals.
Who cares if it was kosher or not (unless there were actually yidden there)… thats not the point. This was a great thing for unaffiliated yidden to see.
It appears that only Michelle o’ has a pillow!
it was still light outside!!!
Anybody notice that it’s daylight in the picture?
Another PR stunt from the master
Everyone have to agree: this president make us feel good and secure.
Are we supposed to be impressed by this stunt?
If anything, it makes me nervous.
did he brag of getting the alya of the korban pesach?
eliyohu hanovi also came?
Since the White House kitchen in treifus year-around, I suspect they did not kosher the facility for one night of pesach. Even if the seder was chamitzdike and treifus, its still a wonderful symbolic event that should inspire all of us and remind of that melech moishiach is on the way.
did they eat streits matzos or shemurah matzo?
Did they drink grape juice or wine for the arbah kosos?
Moiray VeRabboisay: We have a president who is very smooth. He is a brilliant orator and a sharp master of Public Relations. Also, he surrounded himself with Yidden who share these talents, and who advise him which words to use and which politically correct gestures to make. However, so far, all this Glitz is merely a cover for his lack of experience and a real national leadership ability. He is going through a honeymoon of trial and error, and his objective is to make sure that everyon loves him and gives him high scores in the polls. — The so-called “Model Seder” which took place in the white house is another indication how shrewed the President is, and how clever his Jewish advisers are. Notice: He ate a delicious meal with members of his family and staff, enjoyed tasty Kneidlach and crispy Matzah and in the process was acclaimed for being a Ohev Yisroel. — Let not our eyes fool us! Mr. Obama needs to do much more than eat Gefilteh Fish with Chrein to prove that he is truly determined to enhance the special America-Israel relationship.
“Mr. Obama needs to do much more than eat Gefilteh Fish with Chrein to prove that he is truly determined to enhance the special America-Israel relationship”
Honestly, even if he had eaten some peseachdike chulent, I would have been happy. Lets stop being so paranoid and take some satisfaction that we have such a friend of EY in the white house
What did Malia and Sahsa get for the Afikoman?
You know many of you posting sound so “childish”!. Why dont you grow up? Just take this action at face value! The President of the USA for the FIRST time in History shared a Seder in the White House with his Jewish Staff and Shoin! I think its a beautiful gesture, and outreach to show the world that the President cares. So stop trying to guess why he did it. So reboisie Appreciate and dont be so skeptical for a change!
What does a goyish president need a seder for? Anyway it probably wasn’t kosher according to most frum standards. It doesn’t impress me and it doesn’t make me feel good about this presidency. It is just a PR stunt and I don’t fall for that stuff.
democratz as usual with symbolism over substance.
this is a total and utter joke this is no kiddush h shem obama very nice you want to connect with your jewish bretheren but sorry this is not the way to go…. what next a bris? add a name? davening for the udem yom kippur ? in order to understand us you dont have to be us, respect out customs and practises but dont practise them this si a dangerous way to act …. one thing for sure the he ant gained my respect, he would have acheived much more by wishing us a kosher peasach and stuck $1000 in an envelope for simcha depischa
do you think he was makpid on afikomen by chatzos?
This is a very cute PR stunt. The Yiddish term for this is “ah chazzer fissel”.
They could not be mekayem lakelev tashleichoon so they had to have a seder!
I agree this is PR. It is a nice gesture, even if many halachic mistakes. My question, why is BO leading the seder? Another example of his narcissistic need for attention and adulation. Would have made more sense for there to be a seder for Jewish staffers unable to be with families, with the Obamas as guests. Forget about gebroks, grape juice, etc., a gentile leading the seder is clearly ridiculous by any standards. Hopefully naive American Jews will wake up – he has yet to prove that he is a friend of Jews and Israel.
#17 …you and me cannot decide what is more important..there are rules to follow and that is the s’hulchen. urech’yes , i know some jews make sure that chanukah ans chritzmas should come together so the hole ‘family can attend together ‘isnt ahvas habrious the foundation o.f ..i dont know what .but the shomrei torah follow adifferent set of halachas
Some people around here would never be happy with anything the prez does. Its so sad. He hasn’t done anything to indicate that he is anything but a supporter of Israel (I dare you to find ONE thing). Unlike those who just like to complain about everything he does, most of us actually look for FACTS.
For those of you who just look for anything to criticize, I’ll explain. Facts are those things that are actually TRUE, as opposed to what some here get from babbling morons on the radio like Al Franken, Rush, Hannity, Colmbes, etc. Facts are what educated people look for when judging situations or people.
AMAZING! THis should not be lost on anyone, that the president of the united states for the first time ever hosted a pesach seder in the white house. How far we have come, indeed. (ironic too, that Bush was the fist one ever to host ramadan id al fatir dinner)
All those negetive comments, whts diffrent then the chanukah lighting that presidents have been performing for years?
HOW FAR we have come just 60 years after the shoah to have an american president host a seder in the white house.
Yashar Koach mister president!
This is indeeed a remarkable and notable even in our history. People should take a step back, and realize the absolute significance and sheer awe at this momentous occasion. Regardless of politics, partisanship and agenda persuasion. The message this sends to all americans of all faiths and races, the messages this sends to the entire world and the message this sends to jews. This is not some wuicky 5 minute token holiday season menora ceremony.
Wow. Wow. Wow. I am so proud to be a Jewish American and so lucky to have been born in ths time and in this country. This is truly the inkvisa demeshicha. It is too bad that so many sour people fail to realize this.