By COLlive reporter
The White House hosted its annual Chanukah party on Wednesday for a select group of members of the Jewish community from across the United States.
In what has ballooned into a sought-after shindig, the White House hosted 2 separate receptions to accommodate the large guest list.
“This is the one that everyone wants tickets to,” President Donald Trump commented during a brief appearance at the second event. He told the crowd, “I see the faces [of] a lot of friends [here], a lot of talent here.”
People gathered there, most of whom were wearing facemasks, welcomed the president with cheers and chants of “four more years.” Trump commented that “we’re going to win this election” as he continues to contest Joe Biden‘s win.
Unlike past years, Trump didn’t remain for long and left the crowd to enjoy a lavish glatt kosher meal under the strict rabbinical supervision of Rabbi Levi Shemtov of the Lubavitch Center of Washington DC (Chabad) in cooperation with the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington.
Among those seen at the parties were Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trump’s advisor Avi Berkowitz, New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and others.
Noticeable were Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, President and founder of Tzedek Association, accompanied by the inmate he lobbied for, R’ Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin. Trump commuted the prison sentence of the former kosher meat executive on the final day of Chanukah in 2017.
The menorah that was lit at the event was a silver one adorned with an eagle. It was given on load to the White House for the party by the family of Rabbi Hirsch Chitrik OBM, a Shliach in Brazil who later lived in Crown Heights as a jeweler.
The family of Rabbi Chitrik, whose family survived the Holocaust in World War II, saw it as a worthy tribute to the freedoms that America has offered the Jewish community. They also note that Rabbi Chitrik’s yartzeit is on Chanukah.
VIDEO:
President @realDonaldTrump addressing the @WhiteHouse #Chanukah🕎 party. pic.twitter.com/VBWykgsuHp
— Rabbi Yisroel Kahan 🇺🇸 (@ykahan) December 10, 2020
