Washington – President Barack Obama marked Monday night’s start of Passover with a private Seder at the White House.
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Obama started the tradition as a presidential candidate in 2008 when he joined Jewish staffers celebrating on the campaign trail. He’s continued it every year since with a small group of aides and friends. He told Israelis during a visit last week he wanted the tradition at the White House so his daughters could experience it.
This year, the first family planned to use a Seder plate Obama picked up on his visit. The plate was a gift to first lady Michelle Obama from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara.
The Seder is the feast starting the Passover, when Jewish people celebrate liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
Kol ben nichor lo yocil boh.
Bibi will be smiling seeing his plate at the white house seder
i bet it will be a traditional seder for this wonder of leadership. complete with horseradish sauce on his medium rare cheeseburger.
It seems to most of us that President Obama is doing his best in his own way for (political) ‘kiruv’ – but all that some people can do is to carp and to criticize anything and everything the president says, thinks or does.
I am sure Obama means well but I think this crosses a boundary. A seder is meant for Jews. You can show respect in other ways. Now if Bibi had a Seder, that would be something!
The President IS wearing a yarmulka. Is he a descendant of a Marrano or a survivor of the 10 Lost Tribes?
Why does the president make a seder anyway? Does he know how to conduct a seder? Do they read the Magid and eat all those kezaysim of matzo and morror before actually getting to the seuda? Or do they just dig in and have a feast without all the preliminaries? By the way,a yom tov table ought to have a white table cloth on it. If we would have the korban Pesach nowadays, he wouldn’t be allowed to partake in it.
I do not see the two girls there. That seems a shame as this would be a very nice bit of their education. Further, it looks like any “business” dinner at the White House, it would have been nice to have included family. Still, good on the President for this. I suppose it will be a White House custom for decades to come.