By COLlive Editor Yehuda Ceitlin (with reporting by JTA)
U.S. President Barack Obama hosted a reception Tuesday at the White House to mark the Jewish American Heritage Month of May.
The 300 invitees included “some of the most influential people of our time,” the White House said. Among them were “grass-roots Jewish community leaders from across the country, rabbis, Members of Congress, and a broad range of leaders engaged in business, the arts, education, and public and community service.”
During his brief remarks, Obama referred specifically to Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Peace laureate and Holocaust memoirist, as “a dear friend of mine and an inspiration to the world.”
Wiesel was seated in the front row near his friend Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, Chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, the umbrella of the international Chabad-Lubavitch movement, and the Rebbe’s Shliach to the White House.
“This month is a chance for Americans of every faith to appreciate the contributions of the Jewish people throughout our history –- often in the face of unspeakable discrimination and adversity,” the President said.
“The Jewish people have always persevered. And that’s why today is about celebrating the people in this room, the thousands who came before, the generations who will shape the future of our country and the future of the world.”
According to a source who was present, The President then walked off the stage and proceeded to give a warm welcome to Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Director of American Friends of Lubavitch in Washington, DC, who told him “I brought you a little surprise from home.”
“And what is that?” Obama wondered.
“We have Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz here with us, who is Regional Director of Lubavitch-Chabad in Illinois and Chairman of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC).”
The former Chicago resident now occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue smiled and was glad to receive and send regards from his former Chief of Staff and now Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel.
The President then turned to Rabbi Abraham Shemtov and bent over to carefully listen to his thoughts.
COLlive.com was told that the exchange was brief but deeply meaningful, however exact details of the conversation were not given.
“It pertained to currently relevant matters,” Rabbi Shemtov was heard saying to someone there, perhaps referring to Obama’s scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.
Also present were newly named Democratic National Committee chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, who authored the original legislation passed in 2006 initiating the Jewish American Heritage Month; Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren; and Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The Chabad rabbis thanked Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz for her spirited support for the imprisoned former Iowa meat plant manager Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin during a recent House judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder.
The Florida Democrat replied that she has gotten a lot of positive feedback following the hearing and “appreciated it,” hoping that justice is done. Rubashkin is perceived by many as serving an excessively harsh sentence, notwithstanding his guilt or innocence.
As with many events in recent years, according to a notice placed there by The White House (the White House kitchen was fully koshered, and) “the food at this event is kosher lemehadrin min hamehadrin, under the rabbinical supervision of Rabbi Levi Shemtov – Lubavitch Center of Washington (Chabad), in cooperation with the Rabbinical Council of Washington DC.”
And if you wondered, it also stated that all meats were Glatt Kosher (Chassidishe Shechita), all breads and pastries were Pas Yisroel, all wines were mevushal and all food was prepared with a mashgiach temidi.
VIDEO: The President’s remarks
o never thought this would happen!!!!!
AWESOMMMEEEE
Hahahha, this time it’s cool!
Now he bowed down to a shliach, before it was to the Saudi king.
Showing some improvement, mr force you to buy insurance.
go tatty!!!! go zaidy!!! you are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very nice!
(i found it funny in the video though that Obama’s face was censored by an iphone…)
wowy
Rabbi Moscowitz, you rock!
Hey, Rabbi Moscowitz is a nice guy too!
Amazing!!! Beutiful!! What a kiddush hashem
kol hakavod
go zaidy and uncle levi!
what a kiddush hashem
Go AFL DC! :))
Here we’ve got the president of the United States bowing
down to Rabbi Shemtov!!! Must be Moshiach is here!! What a beautiful picture!!!
great work
I would have gotten the president’s autograph while I had the chance
But I can tell u forsure that he said something smart and short ..
wow
go r’ shemtov!
love u zaidy!!!
The courage and dedication to greet the President of the United States is another example of Chasdei Hashem in our times, an unbelievable eye opener that True Freedom can be openly revealed. Definitely a sign before Moshiach. Our Man in Washington.
wow