I care that any us would care–in that sence you are correct.
In any event, if it makes it more of a meaningful holiday for everybody, then God bless you all and Chag Sameach.
Jonathan, I had a similar moment when some Jewish college student shot his Jewish girlfriend. It was all over the JTA. I was like, other than it involving Jews, why is this news? I mean, why would it be news to the Jewish community at large?
I’ve come to accept that if it involves Jews, Jews want to know, no matter how unimportant it might be. About this Obama seder, it’s the first Jewish somethingerother involving the first black somethingerother. History, you know.
I agree KFJ, but it’s not just Jews.
Did you ever notice watching the Super Bowl or World Series (or pick your own big sporting event) that they always seem to be able to find new records that are being made or broken? Or a “this with that and the other” hasn’t happened in X many years. We all want to witness history.
KFJ, I’m surprised–usually you say what I’m thinking about this kind of stuff. The reason this thrills me is that I basically don’t buy the “light unto the nations” stuff, except for when I think “YES! we have deeply powerful rituals and ideas to share with the wide world!!” and thus I’m psyched when there are all kinds of seders being created and used as teaching tools about liberation, both celebrating it and committing to pursuing it.
Jews have been celebrating Pesach long before 1776. Why should we care if, or desire for, President Obama celebrates a Jewish holiday?
Maybe because it HASN’T BEEN DONE BEFORE at the White House, as well as led by the President? You don’t care because..?
I don’t care because I don’t need the participation of non-Jews, even the U.S. president, to validate my celebration of Pesach… call me old-fashioned.
Jonathan, no one’s talking about validation here. Some of us are just happy to spread the liberty.
I guess we see things differently.
“liberty”?
But I thought Gideon Levy calls it simply celebrating “genocide”?
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1077908.html
Jonathan, if you didn’t care you wouldn’t be so passionate about posting.
I think it’s great that the President participated in a Seder.
I care that any us would care–in that sence you are correct.
In any event, if it makes it more of a meaningful holiday for everybody, then God bless you all and Chag Sameach.
Jonathan, I had a similar moment when some Jewish college student shot his Jewish girlfriend. It was all over the JTA. I was like, other than it involving Jews, why is this news? I mean, why would it be news to the Jewish community at large?
I’ve come to accept that if it involves Jews, Jews want to know, no matter how unimportant it might be. About this Obama seder, it’s the first Jewish somethingerother involving the first black somethingerother. History, you know.
I agree KFJ, but it’s not just Jews.
Did you ever notice watching the Super Bowl or World Series (or pick your own big sporting event) that they always seem to be able to find new records that are being made or broken? Or a “this with that and the other” hasn’t happened in X many years. We all want to witness history.
KFJ, I’m surprised–usually you say what I’m thinking about this kind of stuff. The reason this thrills me is that I basically don’t buy the “light unto the nations” stuff, except for when I think “YES! we have deeply powerful rituals and ideas to share with the wide world!!” and thus I’m psyched when there are all kinds of seders being created and used as teaching tools about liberation, both celebrating it and committing to pursuing it.