Ivanka Welcomed Shabbat On Inauguration Day In Lincoln Bedroom
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Image by Getty Images
Inauguration weekend was a momentous time for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner — but there was still Shabbat to consider.
On Friday night, January 20 — hours after President Trump was inaugurated — Ivanka arranged to have candlesticks waiting for her in the Lincoln Bedroom, according to “Born Trump: Inside America’s First Family,” a book released Tuesday by Vanity Fair’s Emily Jane Fox.
On a typical weekend away, Trump would’ve brought her own candlesticks, Fox reported, but Trump correctly assumed the White House would have candelabras lying around. Her immediate family of five formed a semicircle around the White House’s candlesticks, and Trump struck a match to light the wicks, covered her eyes and recited the blessings.
“It was the first time Shabbat has been welcomed this way in the history of the residence,” Fox wrote.
Later that evening, the Secret Service had to work with the couple to develop a special security plan. Traditionally, those observing the Sabbath do not travel in cars, but that would’ve meant that Kushner and Trump couldn’t attend any of Friday’s balls or the events the following day. Walking wasn’t an option; their detail said it wasn’t safe, given the protests.
“So they asked special permission from their rabbi to break the rules of Shabbat,” Fox wrote, “since it was a matter of safety, and what they argued was a once-in-a-lifetime familial opportunity.”
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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