Obama Holds Last Chanukah Party

By COLlive reporter

President Barack Obama hosted his final Chanukah celebration at the White House on Wednesday, in a notably early event that has become an annual tradition.

“The first chapter of the Hanukkah story was written 22 centuries ago, when rulers banned religious rituals and persecuted Jews who dared to observe their faith, which is why we are asked today to not only light the menorah but to proudly display it, to publicize the mitzvah,” he said.

Obama, standing alongside his wife Michelle Obama, then jokingly added, “And that’s why we’ve invited all these reporters who are here…”

“I want to say how much Michelle and I appreciate the opportunities to have celebrated so many Hanukkahs with you in the White House,” the president said to one of two receptions held for the occasion.

“You know, at the beginning of my presidency, some critics thought it would last for only a year. But — miracle of miracles — it has lasted eight years. It’s lasted eight whole years,” Obama said and added in Hebrew, “Nes Gadol Haya Po.”

A wide ranging representation of the Jewish community in the United States was invited to the party, including rabbis, community organization leaders, judges, elected officials and activists.

Jewish Insider noted the three generations of Shemtovs at the White House that were present at the party: Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, the Rebbe’s Shliach to the White House; his son Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the Shliach in Washington DC and Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad); and grandson Menachem Shemtov.

The White House has relied on Chabad to help kosher the White House kitchen and provide the highest standard of kosher to its Jewish guests at the annual celebration.

Notably, during the celebration, White House aids were seen inviting the Shemtov rabbis and their spouses to step into a private room for a short exchange with the President. Details of the conversation were not available.

“In the spirit of the holiday, the White House kitchen has not run out of oil…” the President told attendees later. “This is a White House tradition that we are proud to carry on. It gives us a lot of nakhas… (nachas) If I pronounced that right, then that was a Hanukkah miracle…”

The evening reception was attended by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Secretary John Kerry’s younger Jewish brother Cam Kerry, and Treasury Sec. Jack Lew, according to Jewish Insider.

Also in attendance were Shluchim Moshe Schapiro of Hoboken, NJ and Shmully Levitin of Jersey City, NJ.