Stories

Although Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight, for many the true highlight of the Jewish festival of lights won't be until December 16th, when President Obama hosts his first White House Hanukkah Party.

Yet in trying to plan this one crazy night, the White House has run into a familiar problem--lots of people don't like the way Obama's trying to do it. In contrast to the Hanukkah parties of George W. Bush, who began the tradition, Obama's gala features a much smaller guest list (roughly 400 as opposed to 800), as well as a much more generic, secular name ("Holiday Reception"). Predictably, a rash of criticism has ensued, with many claiming that the President's seeming lessened emphasis on the holiday reflects Obama's callous indifference towards Israel and even Jews themselves.

Or...could it be that Hanukkah itself isn't really that important of a holiday? So says Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who recently told the New York Times that this whole situation has become silly and stupid, "one big overblown latke." Adds Susan Sher, a Presidential liaison to Jewish groups, “Hanukkah is a wonderful holiday to celebrate, but that’s not the whole ballgame, by any means, in terms of outreach to the Jewish community.”

She's right. The Obama administration has been extremely Chosen-People-friendly during its first year, hosting a conference call for 900 Rabbis in August as well as the first-ever White House Passover seder last Spring. Plus, it must be noted that the Bush Hanukkah celebrations weren't all that great--the attendance at said events was frequently less than 500, and one year the invitation even featured a picture of a Christmas tree.

So if anyone tries to demand an apology from Obama on this front, there's no way he should give in. Rather, in the spirit of Hanukkah, he should look up in the air, raise his hands up, and simply say, "feh."