White House Hanukkah Reception 2018

Thursday, December 06, 2018

White House Chanukah Reception Features An Historic First

What has already become a tradition thru successive presidential administrations the White House was once again the venue for what has become a national celebration of Chanukah when the President of the United States pays tribute to the American Jewish community.

This year, President Trump hosted two receptions, one during the afternoon that was highlighted by the presence of 8 Holocaust survivors from Brooklyn whom the President asked to join him on stage; a gesture and recognition that was both heartwarming and historic as no President has invited a group of Holocaust survivors in that setting and it might be the last and only time such an occurrence takes place due to the advanced age of the Holocaust survivor community.

During the evening reception the focus was on Andrew Pollack whose daughter Meadow Pollack was a victim of the Parkland shooting and in whose memory the President dedicated the menorah lighting.

Among the various dignitaries who participated at the Chanukah reception was Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group and Joseph B. Stamm, CEO of Medreview.

Both offered important insights as to the importance and symbolism of the President hosting the community at the White House.

"To me the contrast couldn't be starker. My thoughts at the reception was the visual of the 400 rabbis that attempted to meet with President Roosevelt during the darkest days of the Holocaust and were rebuffed literally at the gates of the White House where they were refused entry and now the President of the United States inviting Holocaust survivors to join him on stage inside the White House and publicly identifying with their suffering" said Ezra Friedlander.

"I want to stress the importance of recognizing President Trump's for officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the embassy to Jerusalem a year ago" a move nobody believed was going to happen" said Joseph B. Stamm who elaborated about the significance of the White House Chanukah receptions to the American Jewish community and its integration into the national calendar.