Seder in the White House, Oy Vey

by Carol Schwartz

History has a way of repeating itself.

There is apparently bigger news than the historical Passover story, when millions of Jews freely walked out of Egypt amongst incredible G-dly wonders and miracles after 210 years of slavery. It was reported that US President Barack Obama, along with his family, attended the second night Passover Seder in the White House with staff and friends. This is believed to be the first White House Seder attended by an American president.

William Daroff, who runs the United Jewish Communities' Washington office, stated that this occurrence is "a testament to how far we have come as a Jewish people in America." Daroff continued his awe of this "joyous" event by noting, "Jews are a vital component in the mosaic that is American culture and society. This night is indeed different from all other nights."

For those of us whose memory is longer than a week, we recognize this "act of brotherly love" as not quite "different" at all. Jewish history tells us that when we are warmly welcomed into the arms of countries in which we have been exiled, our downfall in those "host cultures" cannot be far behind.

Let's start with the Passover story itself. The Torah tells us about the miraculous rise of Joseph, the son of our father Jacob, into the house of Pharaoh. After 22 years in jail, overnight Joseph becomes the second in command of Egypt, the greatest nation at the time. Joseph saved from starvation, during a severe famine, all of Egypt as well as most of the world. In doing so, Egypt acquired incredible wealth and fame. Joseph was honored and beloved by all.

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