In D.C., Parties and Well Wishes as Hanukkah Begins
Light Unto the Mall: A large-scale menorah sits on Washington?s National Mall. Image by Getty Images
In the U.S., Hanukkah starts with storms and blizzards at the Great Plains, followed by concerts and all sorts of creative entertainments, from latkes-eating contests to parrot races in communities throughout the country. President Obama, who already threw his Hanukkah party at the White House a week and a half ago, sent his holiday wishes. This time, despite the presidential elections in the air, he did so without mentioning his support for Israel even once (which is not bad at all, considering the controversy the issue seems to provoke each time it is mentioned in this season).
“Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Hanukkah around the world”, the President said in a statement. “This Hanukkah season we remember the powerful story of a band of believers who rose up and freed their people, only to discover that the oil left in their desecrated temple — which should have been enough for only one night — ended up lasting for eight. It’s a timeless story of right over might and faith over doubt – one that has given hope to Jewish people everywhere for over 2,000 years. And tonight, as families and friends come together to light the menorah, it is a story that reminds us to count our blessings, to honor the sacrifices of our ancestors, and to believe that through faith and determination, we can work together to build a brighter, better world for generations to come.”
There were several other Hanukkah parties in Washington recently — the Congressional Hanukkah reception hosted by DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz at the Library of Congress followed the White House party. There are more traditional receptions — by the Israeli Embassy and the Indian Embassy, for example. There was also a new (and somewhat surprising) addition this year — last Sunday, the Lithuanian embassy hosted its first annual Joint Hanukkah and Lithuanian Christmas (Kucios) Party, with four local rabbis, a Lithuanian Roman Catholic Bishop, kids from a Lithuanian school (who performed traditional songs and dances) and a local Jewish congregations (whose members sang Hanukkah songs). And of course there were sufganiot. The celebration, as it was explained, came as a part of The Sunflower Project, an international effort to bridge the Jewish and Lithuanian communities.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
