Obama Hosts First Seder The Jewish

year ago, Barack Obama and a dozen of his campaign staff gathered in the basement of the Sheraton in Harrisburg, Pa., for an impromptu Seder to mark the start of Passover.

After proclaiming the traditional Next year in Jerusalem refrain at the end of the meal, the future president, who was still in a heated battle for the Democratic nomination, raised his glass and added, Next year in the White House."

Obama kept his word.

On Thursday, when he hosts a Seder at the White House, Obama will not only be fulfilling that hope shared during his campaign, he will also become the first sitting president to attend, let alone host, the Jewish ritual feast at the executive mansion.

To break Matzo, so to speak, in the official White House dining room is historic, said William Daroff, the director of the Washington office of United Jewish Community.

The intimate 20-person Seder will be "an extension of the Harrisburg event," said a senior administration official with knowledge of the so-called First Seder.

It will feature all the Passover fixings — including Matzo, bitter herbs, a roasted egg and greens — and the reading of the Haggadah, the religious text about the exodus of Jews from Egypt that sets the order of the meal.

Guests expected to join the first family include White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett; Eric Whitaker, a close friend of the Obamas who attended the Harrisburg Seder; and Susan Sher, Michelle Obama's longtime friend and counsel.

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is not expected to attend, a White House aide said. And senior adviser David Axelrod will fly back to Chicago for Passover.

But Axelrods assistant, Eric Lesser, who helped organize the Seder in Harrisburg, will help lead the one at the White House, an aide said.

White House aides denied rumors that campaign donors would be invited to the dinner, saying the Seder was aimed at celebrating with staffers and close friends of the family.

"This is an important holiday to a lot of members of our staff, and this Seder will be meaningful for them," an aide said.

Obamas body-man, Reggie Love, will also attend, as well as Melissa Winter, Michelle Obamas deputy chief of staff; Herbie Ziskend, an aide to Vice President Joe Biden; Dana Lewis, an aide to the first lady; Samantha Tubman, associate social secretary; White House videographer Arun Chaudhary; and Lisa Kohnke, a deputy director of advance and special events.

The White House Seder comes on the heels of Obamas first trip overseas, where he spent significant time reaching out to the Muslim world and called for compromise on relations with Israel.

The event is being seen as positive in the Jewish community, Daroff said. I dont think this is throwing peanuts to the Jews in response to his extensive interactions with the Muslim community abroad.

The only other Seder in the White House was in 1993 for Clinton staffers, Daroff noted, but then-President Bill Clinton did not attend.

It is a long way from 1943, he added, when rabbis came at the White House to demand that the president save European Jews from the Nazis, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded by sneaking out the back door to avoid seeing them.

The White House scheduled its Seder on the second night of Passover so it would not interfere with invitees plans to spend the first night with their families, because its overall purpose, a White House aide said, is to "commemorate the holiday and reflect on everything that happened in the last year." http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21050.html

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[squatchy691]

Next he'll host Ramadan. BHO is all things to all people.

[brooklynrambler]

First president to host a seder at the white house, and right-wing, arab-hating jews, like the commenters here, have a problem with it! thank g-d they're a pathetic minority. thanks for posting.

[HoneySiegalSurvivor]

@squatchy691 He DID host Ramadan. DID he host a Sedar last night? Does anyone know? Or is the media intent on muzzling the truth behind The Plan of Rahm et al

NBC Rachel bears my hebrew name -middle name being Robin. Once she reported on the story of "indefinite detention by executive order" of the liar and thief in the WH and then continued to act like a lesbian celebrity being better than heterosexual mothers in long term marriages. Hannah Rachel + Honey Robin+ Mad Dow+ Barry = FRAUD.HRSiegal

[adhdboy699]

"Obama Hosts First Seder The Jewish" wtf? i think you typed that wrong.

[imbonnie]

You are the worst reporter ever.

[imbonnie]

What a stupid, smug, arrogant commentary.

[imbonnie]

yeah ok, corrupt Jews

[WONDAWOMAN]

YOU WOULD BE THE MORON HERE!! He was not hosting a dinner for the State of Israel and was not obligated to CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER in the white house with the few people that he INVITED to be there. PASSOVER DOES NOT BELONG TO A NATION! He claims to be a Christian but doesn't even respect the teachings of Jesus, MORON! HE DOES NOT REPRESENT ALL AMERICANS!! He is Kenyan / British by nationality. .Be intelligent if u r going to attempt to insult mine.

[garthggarth]

It's called respecting other's beleifs and traditions, you moron!

As the president, he represents ALL americans. ALL.

Only a quarter or a third of this world is christian, so if we do actually expect to treat with other nations (not to mention the millions of non-christians in this one), maybe showing a little respect would be called for.

How can you have a National Prayer Day, if U have no idea how many of the people in the country pray? I would say that this was common sense, but...

[randygarbel]

obama keep proving everbody wrong.

obama 2012

[songsterhiragana]

Funny, LOL, the non-Jewish (-adjective-) memo-writer at the Obama White House wrote in the daily schedule email seen above in the video: "Apparently, the Jewish here and in neighboring states are now calling and wondering why they have not been invited.."

MEMO to OBAMA EMAIL STAFF: Christians are called Christians, yes, but Jews are not called "the Jewish".....they are called "Jews". Christian can be both a noun and an adjective, but Jewish can only be an adjective. No more "the Jewish",got it?

[mnmn59]

there definately was a Jewish problem that was rectified by Emanuel et al with a vetting before AIPAC this idiot does not know her ass from a the crack in the wall