Hanukkah is a beautiful and meaningful Jewish festival that honors the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Syrian-Greeks in 169 BCE. It is celebrated each year for eight days and nights which starts on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Hanukkah has been celebrated by more than two million American Jews since the early 19th century, yet it has only been formally recognized as a holiday by a President in the last few decades.
George Bush became the first President to recognize Hanukkah in 1988. After a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Shamir at the White House, President Bush was presented with the daring plan to re-create a traditional Jewish Menorah from ancient stones dug from the Temple Mount. To recognize the special event, President Bush issued a formal statement later that year, expressing recognition of Hanukkah and honoring the heroic spirit of the Maccabees and their religious freedom. President Bush also briefly lit the Menorah together with Prime Minister Shamir at the White House’s south portico.President Bill Clinton further embraced the Jewish holiday, calling Hanukkah a time of celebration. In 1993, he lit a Menorah on the White House lawn for the first time in American history. President Clinton also issued a statement in 1997 acknowledging the values of Hanukkah, connecting it to the history of religious freedom that exists today in the United States.
Barack Obama was the first President to light a Menorah that was made entirely out of sustainable energy. His 2013 Menorah was built from solar panels that powered the building’s lights. Obama also continued the tradition of annual Hanukkah reception in the White House, attended by Jewish and non-Jewish dignitaries, members of Congress, and representatives of Jewish communities throughout the country.
Donald Trump also continued the tradition of the annual White House Hanukkah reception, raising a shamash to light a four-foot tall Menorah. Trump recognized the courage of the Jews in defending religious freedom, saying that “We draw strength from the story of Hanukkah—and the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and tyranny over freedom.”
Therefore, the Presidents of the U.S. have recognized Hanukkah in a variety of ways, from formal statements to impressive Menorah lightings. Through their actions, they have shown that the ideals of freedom, justice, and religious liberty, embodied by the Maccabees, are still very much alive in American society.
In conclusion, Hanukkah has played a major role in the American Jewish community and has also been recognized by a variety of U.S. Presidents in their own special way. From George Bush to Donald Trump, the Presidents of the United States have displayed a reverence and appreciation for this meaningful Jewish holiday that is deeply rooted in our shared history.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.