Sure, passover meals were held in the Clinton and Bush White Houses for staff and aides, but neither president actually participated. Bill was busy having a “private” lesson on Judaism with his personal tutor Monica Lewinsky in the Lincoln Bedroom and well, Dubya doesn’t care much for Jew crackers with weird “M” names he can’t pronounce.
The White House was mum on details of the Seder, except to say that it will be “a small, private event very similar to – and mark the anniversary of – the Seder Obama held last year while he was still battling Hillary Clinton in the Pennsylvania primaries.”
The guest list includes the president, First Lady Michelle and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, as well as a dozen staff members and friends, most of whom joined Obama’s impromptu Seder last year when the first night of Passover fell during a campaign stop in Harrisburg, PA.
After all, that celebration did turn out to be prophetic. In addition to the traditional closing line, “next year in Jerusalem,” last year’s participants jokingly added the line “next year in the White House!”
This time it will probably be “next year in economic prosperity” if I know Barack Baruch.
