White House Passover: Some reasons I love Obama

I received this email in my inbox today from our main man. All I have to say is wow. Wow. Wow, because my senior "thesis" (term paper in the spring) focused on how Jews 100 years ago were persecuted in this country for coming into this country as invaders, and to see this publicly from a president is breathtaking (Bush did it too, but he definitely didn't play the social justice card as freely, which will get me into bed almost immediately). Wow, because he is actually going to sit at a table and take the time to participate in the retelling of a story for the sake of hearing it and to take it in as another important celebration (the anthropologist in me, both the experiential immersion and love for diverse lifestyles and cultures, is in perpetual glee). Wow, because the man who played basketball with UNC during his campaign, the man who continues to fight to enable people equal health care (still some room for improvement, which he recognizes), that man, he's looking forward to a steamy bowl of Matzah Ball Soup.

Baller. Stop caller. Brawler.

Because this is the first time I've received a letter like this (about the president of the US celebrating a minority religion), I wonder if he also celebrates Eid or Ramadan, or if he takes the time to meditate with a Buddhist monk, or if he stops everything and indulges in a celebration of Diwali or Holi... I'm going to definitely pay some close attention to this in the future, but for now, me and my mom are going to be enjoying some of those recipes they collected...

A regular babushka (Jewish grandmother, aka Jewish nurturer) that Obama is.

April 5, 2012 Friends, Tomorrow night, Jews throughout the United States, Israel, and the global Jewish community will come together to retell the story of Passover. As you are finishing your search for chametz and preparing for Seder, we wanted to send you a special Passover update from the White House. This message features Passover recipes from the White House staff, highlights the various Seders hosted around Passover, and includes a special message from President Barack Obama. We hope you enjoy this message and wish each of you a Chag Sameach. Jarrod Neal Bernstein The White House | Director of Jewish Outreach jbernstein@who.eop.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/americanjewishcommunity A Special Passover Video Message from the Obama Family The President released the following video message in honor of Passover: Transcript - President Obama's Passover Message I'd like to wish a happy holiday to all those celebrating Passover. The story of the Exodus is thousands of years old, but it remains as relevant as ever. Throughout our history, there are those who have targeted the Jewish people for harm - a fact we were so painfully reminded of just a few weeks ago in Toulouse. Just as throughout history, there have been those who have sought to oppress others because of their faith, ethnicity or color of their skin. But tomorrow night, Jews around the world will renew their faith that liberty will ultimately prevail over tyranny. They will give thanks for the blessings of freedom, while remembering those who are still not free. And they will ask one of our life's most difficult questions: Once we have passed from bondage to liberty, how do we make the most of all that God has given us? This question may never be resolved, but throughout the years, the search for answers has deepened the Jewish people's commitment to repairing the world, and inspired American Jews to help make our union more perfect. And the story of that first Exodus has also inspired those who are not Jewish with common hopes, and a common sense of obligation. So this is a very special tradition - and it's one I'm proud to be taking part of tomorrow night, at the fourth annual White House Seder. Led by Jewish members of my staff, we'll retell the story of the Exodus, listen to our youngest guest ask the four questions, and of course, look forward to a good bowl of matzo ball soup. Michelle and I are proud to celebrate with friends here at home and around the world, including those in the State of Israel. So on behalf of the entire Obama family, Chag Sameach White House Staff Celebrate Passover Jon Carson, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, at the USDA Food & Justice Seder, April 4, 2012 (Photo courtesy of Ronald Sachs) On Wednesday, members of the Obama Administration including Jon Carson, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement, joined Secretary Tom Vilsack for the Department of Agriculture's second annual Food and Justice Seder. There, attendees heard about important issues including hunger, access to healthy food, sustainable food production, and fair treatment for farm workers. Deputy Assistant to the President Michael Strautmanis (right) and White House Director of Jewish Outreach Jarrod Bernstein (center) at the National Hunger Seder, March 29, 2012 (Photo courtesy of JCPA). Last week Michael Strautmanis, Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor, participated in the National Hunger Seder hosted by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. There, Michael joined members of Congress, anti-hunger leaders, members of the faith community and students in a discussion of the message of Passover and the importance of combatting hunger. Chosen Food at the White House and Passover Family Recipes As Passover approaches, members of the White House staff and Obama administration have shared their personal family recipes to be posted on the White House blog. Last week, cookbook author Joan Nathan and White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses joined us for a celebration of "Chosen Food" and Jewish culture. For more recipes throughout the week, check out the American Jewish Community blog. Apple Kugel - Kenneth Baer Apple Matzoh Kugel - Jarrod Bernstein Apple Matzoh Pudding - Melissa Winter "Birthday Worthy" Spongecake and "Worth the Potchkey" Kugel - Jonathan Samuels Glazed Beef Brisket - Cameron Kerry Go-Go's Chicken Matzah Ball Soup - Shira Miller Kookoo Sabzi - Jonathan Greenblatt Kosher for Passover Brownies - David Cohen Passover Birthday Brownies and Lemon Almond Coconut Cookies - Julie Siegel Stay Connected Facebook Twitter YouTube Flickr iTunes Manage Subscriptions Sign Up for Updates from the White House | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Contact the White House The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW • Washington, D.C. 20500 • 202-456-1111

Shanah Tovah (Happy Rosh Hashanah)!

Hey all,

In a few hours, the annual Jewish superholidays will begin. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the ten days in between (called the Days of Awe) have become for many Jews a period of reflection upon the past year and a transition into the new one to come. The celebrations and rituals vary considerably depending on the Jew in question, but typically, Rosh Hashannah marks the reopening of a spiritual book of your past and the beginning of fashioning your "book" for the upcoming year, the days of awe being a chance to see what has transpired in your published year and how you can use what has happened to build next year's book, and Yom Kippur as a placement of that book on your bookshelf featuring a plea for a healthy and full book year to come.

There are many traditions to be told about how Rosh Hashanah is celebrated (and this is still ever growing!), and if you're interested just ask and I (or Emma/Isaac) can talk about some of them, but a typical tradition that you can find almost anywhere is to give one other blessings for the upcoming year without expectation to receive. Usually we say "Shanah Tovah U'Metukah" (Have a good sweet new year), but I find that that gets to be too mechanical, especially if you happen to say it toward a person you've had a close relationship with. I'd like to take some time share my own blessing with you all, along with a few that I've found to really resonate with the work we do and the free love we seek to spread. Since this is the first time I've introduced this to you all, I'll do an altered version of it. Feel free to do it as well-- these blessings are intended to be pluralistic :-).

Here goes:

Thank you all for giving me the year(s) of experience, lesson, passion, and love that have come to meld seamlessly into my own. May much life, love, and experience fill your year to the brim, and may it spill to all that surround you. May you find all that you seek, and may everything you forget to find show up alongside your path. May you find solace and peace in being, happiness and humility in doing, and curiosity and inspiration in thinking.

May you live for you, and share it with all that you find.

PS: Here are some alternative interpretations of this tradition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlcxEDy-lr0&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRaQSbuTiBg

http://sichaconversation.org/

http://ajws.org/what_we_do/education/publications/holiday_resources/high_holiday_prayer_card_2011.pdf