President Biden Joe Biden speaks at a reception to celebrate the Jewish New Year on Sept. 30, 2022. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh September 27, 2024

This story was updated on 10-09-24: 

President Joe Biden will host a High Holidays conference call on Wednesday afternoon with rabbis, leaders, and members of the Jewish community. The annual presidential ritual was initially scheduled for last Tuesday, days before Rosh Hashanah, but was postponed following Iran’s ballistic missile strike on Israel. 

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said in remarks at an event marking Oct. 7 at the Israeli embassy on Monday that on the day of the Iranian attack, the president “was scheduled to be in the Oval Office for his annual Rosh Hashanah call with Jewish leaders. Instead, he was in the Situation Room, where, for the second time in five months, he ordered the U.S. military to take action to defend Israel from a significant attack by Iran.”

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Original story published on 09-27-24: 

President Joe Biden is expected to host a conference call with rabbis and other Jewish leaders on Tuesday ahead of the High Holidays, two White House officials confirmed on Friday. 

The annual presidential ritual takes on added significance in the wake of rising antisemitic attacks and as Biden prepares to conclude his more than four-decade political career in January.

“President Biden understands that this year’s High Holidays may feel different, as the tragic events of Oct. 7 have left many in deep grief,” said Shelley Greenspan, the White House Jewish liaison. “He is committed to ensuring that the Jewish community feels supported and recognized during this pivotal time of reflection, renewal, and hope.”

The president will deliver opening remarks, followed by a Q&A session where senior staff will answer questions from representatives of each denomination, Greenspan said. It is the same format as Biden’s call with Jewish leaders last year.

In 2022, Biden hosted Jewish leaders for a pre-Rosh Hashanah reception at the White House, a tradition he began as vice president at his official residence at the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington. 

In his remarks, Biden boasted about his closeness to American Jews and deep familiarity with their traditions. “I probably went to shul more than many of you did,” Biden told the crowd, referencing his many visits to Beth Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden’s hometown.

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