White House Passover Seder: Obama Celebrates The Holiday

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama marked the start of Passover with a private Seder in the executive mansion.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama invited friends and White House aides to mark the Jewish holiday with a meal on Monday. The Obama aides started the tradition during 2008's primary campaign in Pennsylvania; Obama made a surprise stop to meet with staffers who were sharing an impromptu meal in a hotel basement.

The event continued last year at the White House with a small group of aides and advisers.

Comments

[MichaelOrtiz]

01:38 PM on 03/31/2010

If you're politically liberal and want to lose 10-30 pounds without dieting visit: http://www.kleinerlink.de/loseweightnow

[LindaGrenier]

01:33 PM on 03/31/2010

If you're politically liberal and want to lose 10-30 pounds without dieting visit: http://www.kleinerlink.de/loseweightnow

[sixtoes]

04:40 AM on 03/31/2010

Why is it necessary for our President to celebrate a Jewish Holiday?

[Rand]

08:49 AM on 03/31/2010

It's called "respect"

[Weirdwriter]

12:46 PM on 03/31/2010

Precisely because he is OUR president.

[deeppeace]

05:39 PM on 03/30/2010

I live in the nearest thing to ‘Northern Exposure’ I’ve ever seen. This city of 35,000 considers ‘eye-talians’ exotic. You say ‘Seder’ in this town and people finish up with singing, ‘you with the stars in your eyes...’. The kosher-for-pesach table in the grocery store is a small catering table, maybe 30” x 48”. Unlike the fictional Cicely, Alaska, I don’t have a community willing to fly in the other 9/10ths of a minyan. So I basically keep my practices private. It’s possible to observe without bringing attention to myself. They’d probably put me in a glass cage and charge admission.

[Rand]

01:31 PM on 03/31/2010

For some reason an earlier comment of yours didn't appear, but I'll respond all the same:

By the power vested in me as HP's resident Irish-American Jew, I hereby appoint you as HP's resident Norwegian-American Jew

[Rand]

04:43 PM on 03/30/2010

A Passover memory:

I was at a political meeting (I'm a long-time activist in the Irish Republican [NOT to be confused with the GOP!!!] community, about 15 years, or so, ago, and, having come straight from work, I had a half-empty box of matzos with me, which I was bringing home to have with my dinner

I asked if anyone would care for a piece, and no one was interested... Until:

A well-known Irish civil rights activist (I won't bother dropping a name, but will just say that she's from Coalisland in Co. Tyrone... That's enough of a clue for those who know Irish politics) said "Don't you understand what Rand has just done? He's offered to break bread with all of you... The same sort of bread that was at the Last Supper" Here was an Atheist lecturing a roomful of Catholics about matzo!

Immediately, everyone asked for a piece... And I had stop on the way home to buy some more... And I couldn't have been happier!

[osusana]

04:08 PM on 03/30/2010

Many years ago we had neighbors in our third floor walkup apt. who were a young Jewish couple far from family, he in Med School, she a teacher. They wanted to host some friends for a Seder, but had only a card table for dining. We had a dining room table that could seat 10, and one good white tablecloth and matching napkins. By taking the legs off the table and reassembling it in their home, we were able to set up a beautiful table for the Seder, to which my husband and I, Christians, were invited. It was a lovely, memorable and celebratory evening which I will never forget. On Thursday evening, I will be at my church commemorating the Last Supper, and I will think warmly, as I always do, of the Seder I shared with those friends in Chicago some 45 years ago. A happy Passover and Easter to all.

[Albert Amato]

01:22 PM on 03/30/2010

The Last Supper of Jesus was a Passover Seder.........it is a holiday to be embraced by good people of all faiths.

[IslandGyal]

12:19 PM on 03/30/2010

OMG, what is a Muslim doing celebrating passover?!?!??!?!

[Pansey]

01:29 PM on 03/30/2010

It's called sharing and understanding the diversity of our fellow human beings.
A process that just may save the human race.

[Puddin]

01:47 PM on 03/30/2010

I am glad they have decided to continue doing this, making it a tradition...traditions are very important, they can contribute to the betterment and wellbeing of those who hold them dear to their hearts. Traditions give meaning to ones life. I am glad they are keeping this one going.

[Lucille]

11:00 AM on 03/30/2010

That was very nice of the President, well done. Also, Happy Passover to everyone!

[LucreziaBorgia]

10:58 AM on 03/30/2010

Happy Passover to all the members of my tribe. What a thoughtful prez!

[Mudge]

11:19 AM on 03/30/2010

Your Tribe? Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI. You should be celebrating Easter. Or...?

[OrionGal]

10:56 AM on 03/30/2010

I luv my President :-)

[swester]

10:50 AM on 03/30/2010

I love our schwartza president!

[CarlyHope]

11:21 AM on 03/30/2010

uh swester,

I think your yiddish is just lacking in nuance, but do you know that isn't actually like, a nice word for Black people?

[Theda]

01:40 PM on 03/30/2010

Yeah, Jackie Mason got booed for using that word about Obama in his stage show. Lots of people walked out.

[swester]

02:06 PM on 03/30/2010

...I was speaking ironically in light of the Jackie Mason incident. It's tough to convey irony on the Internets!

And frankly, schwartza is like goy - a term that can be either neutral/endearing or derrogatory, largely based on its context. I am aware of its "nuance."

Chag Sameach, by the way!

[shutterbabe]

11:58 AM on 03/30/2010

I am glad you admire President Obama but this is a derogatory Yiddish word.

[Rand]

12:20 PM on 03/30/2010

CarlyHope & shutterbabe:

As soon as I saw the posting, I expected that someone would make this sort of comment

The word, in and of itself, is simply one of identification. There is no other word in Yiddish to describe a Black person

It's only derogatory in CONTEXT

Similarly, the word "feygeleh" is simply an identifier for a Gay man. Interestingly - at least to me - the REALLY derogatory Yiddish word for a Gay man was used in the novel and the movie "The Maltese Falcon". Sam Spade was NOT calling Wilmer a "gunman" when he used the word "gunsel"!

[bklynsparrow]

01:23 PM on 03/30/2010

No- it's not and is a very common surname as well. Including in my own family. And I was raised in a Yiddish speaking household too.

Love this President!

[StCuthbert]

10:50 AM on 03/30/2010

Happy Passover!

[Rand]

10:53 AM on 03/30/2010

Good Pesach to you, St. C!

[StCuthbert]

10:59 AM on 03/30/2010

Thanks, Rand. Same to you.

[bklynsparrow]

01:24 PM on 03/30/2010

To you too StCuthbert! I am going to a seder tonight with my 101 year old Uncle who is a WW II vet.

[StCuthbert]

04:43 PM on 03/30/2010

Wow! What a guy. I have an uncle who was in the Battle of the Bulge, but he's on the Irish Catholic side of the family.

[Pema]

10:36 AM on 03/30/2010

i hope the president uses this as the begonning to understand all relgious cultures in the us. i am waiting for wesak...its coming mr president. are you ready?

[EuroPreacher]

10:35 AM on 03/30/2010

May I take advantage of this occasion to wish to all the observant of the Judaism faith a happy passover?!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WSGJDX6

[EuroPreacher]

10:37 AM on 03/30/2010

Judaic faith is more like it, sorry...
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WSGJDX6