Obama Passover Seder: First Ever Held At White House

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, back at the White House after an overnight flight from Iraq, has no public events on his schedule Wednesday.

The past eight days have taken him to nearly a half-dozen European nations and Turkey on his first major venture onto the world stage. He wrapped it up Tuesday with an unannounced side trip to Iraq, heaping praise on U.S. service men and women there and encouraging the Iraqis.

In Washington, Obama turns his attention back to domestic problems. Thursday he tackles military health care. Friday, it's the economy.

Thursday night, the president and his family will be marking the beginning of Passover, inviting friends and aides over for a White House Seder.

Comments

[MikeLicht]

05:33 PM on 04/11/2009

I sent the Obamas my Bubbe's special Passover macaroon recipe:

1. Open can.
2. Serve.
3. Eat.

See

http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/moses-and-macaroons/

[lawrencemuh]

10:38 AM on 04/11/2009

The MESSIAH has returned.. look at the pictures of the Sedar and compare to the last supper...

OBAMA IS THE MESSIAH!

[Osiris26]

07:54 AM on 04/11/2009

Our president apparently understands thall all religions are based on FAITH. None of the religious text are historical documents. The creation story is not scientific. There is only one RACE. All humans alive today come from Africa. Reference: Journey of Man you tube. Our DNA proves that we are all 99.9% the same. National Geographic magazine March 2006. www.ngm.com. Scientist and Archealogist can not find any evidence that Abraham, Moses, David nor Jesus ever existed. Hopefully our president will lead us to the truth.

[Avigdor]

03:30 PM on 04/10/2009

Were there any Jews at the "seder"?

[3in1]

12:15 PM on 04/10/2009

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT was the first president to attend a Seder while in office. In 1912, when he visited Providence, RI, he participated in the family Seder of Colonel Harry Cutler, first president of the National Jewish Welfare Board.

[3in1]

10:44 AM on 04/10/2009

obama finished the seder and asking when is the Lord's supper? Lincoln died during Passover

[leerude]

08:17 AM on 04/10/2009

This is just absolutely fantastic! Thanks for the great post.

[Debra Lewis]

08:56 PM on 04/09/2009

So what if he is not the first president to host such. The fact that he was present as the host speaks volumes. It matters (in a positive light) that he was present. No if's ands, or buts (buttheads).

[BarackstarObama]

12:17 AM on 04/10/2009

He is the first president to host a seder in the White House, Clinton didn't attend or host.

[berrycooda]

08:15 PM on 04/09/2009

Some Christians are celebrating MAUNDY THURSDAY today.

This is the time of the LORD'S LAST SUPPER.

FRIDAY the day after that is Good Friday, the day of the Lord's crucifixion.

Wonder if the Obama's will have anything special on these days.

Other than the Easter Egg hunt previously held.

[Andrew Jonas]

12:42 AM on 04/10/2009

Does he HAVE to do anything different. The last supper WAS a passover seder.

[ellawensmom]

10:44 AM on 04/10/2009

Very accurate. Thank you for pointing that out.

[remc]

10:47 AM on 04/10/2009

Excellent point.

[nellpost]

03:26 PM on 04/09/2009

A President for ALL people! The party of No must be sooooo upset!

[Whatashame]

03:12 PM on 04/09/2009

Obama has his mother personality. She was someone who was very understanding and opening to others.

[Avigdor]

01:36 PM on 04/10/2009

I take it you knew her well. And I assume this is the basis on which you cast your vote for Obama... because, like his mother, he is very nice.

[Aesthete]

02:28 PM on 04/09/2009

Why is there so much hate and hostility toward people whose beliefs are different from one's own? Since when are we all supposed to be clones of each other. How dull is that? I love seeing people engaged in joyful celebration of their respective traditions and beliefs.

[Texas4Obama]

02:19 PM on 04/09/2009

The headline on this article is incorrect.

There HAS been a seder held at/in the White House before.
What makes tonight's seder different is that this time will be the 'first time that a seder is hosted by a president and that a president will be in attendence'.

From Yahoo News:

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

Comcast.net News:

White House aides say they believe this is the first president-hosted seder at the White House. President Bill Clinton's aides planned seders, but Clinton isn't known to have attended.

Obama's move won quick praise from the National Jewish Democratic Council.

"By hosting the first presidential seder in America's history, President Barack Obama shows the personal and deep relationship he has with the Jewish community," said Alexis C. Rice, the group's deputy executive director.

[LHibbard]

01:31 PM on 04/09/2009

Maybe there will be a Beltane ritual at the White House as well, complete with Maypole? (sniffs hopefully) ;)

[LeftLeanWing]

02:07 PM on 04/09/2009

What's a Beltane ritual ?_________________

[Artos]

03:06 PM on 04/09/2009

LeftLeanWing,

Beltane is a pagan ritual, pagan not being a dirty word here. Before Christianity took hold in Europe, much of the European populace had forms of religion that centered around nature and honored the Gods or Goddesses of Nature. The custom of a Christmas Tree comes from the yule log which itself is derived from the Worship of the forests which provided sustenance and protection for many of those cultures. Yggdrasil is known as the tree of knowledge and was a part of those pagan religions too. None of the ideas that come from pagan worship are any less sacred or honorable than any of the other more "respected" religions. Much has been done by those other respected religions to denounce paganism by attributing all of the worst characteristics to them. Another reason for that is that many pagan religions accorded much more authority and respect to Woman within them. This is something that we can plainly see from so much present conflict within mainstream religions is not the case.

[ellawensmom]

10:47 AM on 04/10/2009

Does the Beltane ritual (in real life) include the fertility rituals, or is that just a made-up thing in Mists of Avalon?

[Mariam Alkazemi]

11:43 AM on 04/09/2009

As a Muslim, I would like to wish the Jewish community a happy commemoration of their freedom from slavery. I hope that Jewish holidays can continue to be celebrated under the national spotlight.

I believe that the Jewish community in America is paving the road for how Muslims can exist in this melting pot society. I also applaud Obama for embracing diversity!

Hag Pesach Semeach!

[njborne]

09:24 AM on 04/12/2009

As a Christian, I mirror your sentiment and your wish. I believe my God is a mighty God that goes by many names. He is worship my many people in many ways. Think of the song, "He Got the Whole World in His Hand." That image remains powerful to me. Therefore, He enjoys the various ways this world worship and praise Him. I believe he laments how the mighty few use religion to destroy fellow men.