Hanukkah, or the “Festival of Lights”, is an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean rebellion in the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is celebrated with lighting of the candelabra, playing games and giving gifts. While Hanukkah has been celebrated yearly for thousands of years, it wasn’t until 1979 that a president officially recognized Hanukkah in the United States. Who was the first president to recognize Hanukkah?
The first president to officially recognize Hanukkah was Jimmy Carter. Only a few months into his presidency in December of 1979, Carter made an official statement in which he acknowledged the Sanctity of lighting the Hanukkah menorah. In his statement he praised the values of freedom and democracy that are celebrated in the festival, and said “The history of the Jewish people, recorded in the Old Testament, is remarkable. The celebration of the Hanukkah holiday is a reminder that their strength sustained Israel even in times of captivity and oppression”.
Carter’s recognition of Hanukkah was a milestone in U.S. and Jewish history, as the American president signaled his acceptance of America’s 2.5 million-strong Jewish community, along with the Jewish religion and culture. His statement affirmed the integration of Jews and Judaism in American life, and encouraged interfaith unity and understanding.
Carter wasn’t the only president to recognize Hanukkah, but he was the first. Since then, several American presidents have issued official statements to commemorate the holiday with messages of peace and understanding. President Barack Obama himself, who served two terms between 2009 and 2017, mentioned the holiday in his official statements every year, as well as in speeches to the Jewish community and others.
In his 2017 statement, Obama noted the symbolism of the menorah and its connection to American values of religious diversity and pluralism, writing that it ”illuminates the enduring truths of our Nation’s founding: out of many, we are one; that real strength includes standing together in solidarity; and that ‘We the People’ will not be denied our hard-won freedom, now or ever”. With this remarkable statement, Obama connected Hanukkah to the American experience in a powerful way, expressing ideals that reached far beyond the Jewish community.
Jimmy Carter’s recognition of Hanukkah in 1979 was a historic moment for the United States and the Jewish people. Since then, American presidents have continued to pay tribute to this holiday with messages of peace and understanding, cementing Hanukkah’s place in our nation’s religious traditions.
A conclusion is simply a summary of the main points raised in the article. In this article, we learned that Jimmy Carter was the first American President to recognize the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in 1979. His statement was a milestone in U.S. Jewish history, and it led to several other American presidents expressing their own messages of peace and understanding in subsequent years.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.