On a quiet evening in April 2008, just days before the critical Pennsylvania primary, three junior staff members on then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign were feeling homesick.
It was the first night of Passover, and Arun Chaudhary, Eric Lesser and Herbie Ziskend were missing their own family Seders that evening. Determined to celebrate, the three young men decided to gather in the basement of the Sheraton hotel in Harrisburg, relying on a few last-minute Seder items Lesser’s cousin managed to snatch from the University of Pennsylvania Hillel: Matzah, Manischewitz, macaroons and a Maxwell House Haggadah.
As the Seder began, there was a knock at the door and a familiar voice asked, “Hey, is this the Seder?” Obama unexpectedly joined in, engaging with the Jewish traditions and asking questions about their families’ Passover experiences. When everyone raised their glasses for the customary toast, “Next Year in Jerusalem,” Obama added, “Next year in the White House!”
One year later, that’s exactly what happened. Lesser recalls President Obama poking his head into his tiny office in the West Wing in early 2009 asking, “Hey, Lesser, are we gonna do the Seder?” He and the other two staffers soon found themselves organizing and leading the first-ever White House Seder, marking the start of a tradition that continued throughout Obama’s presidency. The White House Seder table now included the entire Obama family and White House staffers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, including Valerie Jarrett and Jen Psaki. It marked the first Passover Seder attended by a President in the People’s House.
Now, a new children’s book, Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama’s First Presidential Seder, chronicles the origins of this historic milestone in Jewish-American history. PJ Library co-published the book with Penguin Random House’s Crown Books for Young Readers and mailed it to about 30,000 Jewish 8-year-old subscribers across North America just in time for Passover.
“This heartwarming story celebrates a powerful landmark in Jewish-American history – the inclusivity and recognition of Jewish traditions at the highest levels of American government.” said Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, President of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which runs PJ Library, a free Jewish book program that provides stories about Jewish culture, values, and traditions to children across the world
The book aligns with PJ Library’s goal to create stories that serve as both windows and mirrors, offering readers reflections of their own experiences while also introducing them to new ways of celebrating Jewish traditions. “Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays, and the story of the Exodus tells a profound tale of liberation that has resonated far beyond the Jewish community, as demonstrated in this book,” added Sandler Grinspoon. “It’s only fitting for PJ Library to now be telling the story behind a great moment in Jewish-American history – one that’s allowed Jewish kids to see their own holiday celebrated at the White House.”
Author Richard Michelson, a 2017 National Jewish Book Award winner, and illustrator E.B. Lewis, a Caldecott Honor and five-time Coretta Scott King Award winner, capture the spontaneity and spirit of the original Seder, despite not having access to references or photographs from that first night. Their work invites children into conversations about topics such as race, resilience and liberation in a way that’s accessible and age appropriate.
“Kids come to experiences and stories with far fewer biases and preconceived notions,” said Lesser, who worked as a baggage handler at the time of the original Seder and ultimately went on to serve as a Massachusetts state senator. “So, for my daughters or my son, why can’t Jews and the first Black president host the first White House Seder? There’s a kind of wonder and magic to the energy and the reinvention of seeing something for the first time, and I think that is part of the magic of a children’s book.”
While millions of Jews worldwide gather around the Seder table annually to remember the Exodus and celebrate liberation, the book demonstrates how the message of Passover resonates and provides inspiration to people across cultures and faiths, including within the African American community. By retelling the story of Passover, Next Year in the White House underscores that even in the midst of a high-stakes presidential campaign, honoring tradition and finding community remain essential.
Lesser, Chaudhary and Ziskend (who went on to serve as deputy White House Communications director for President Biden) – embraced and included Obama in their tradition, and in return, Obama did the same: He included a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation alongside traditional liturgy, making direct connections between the two communities.
“The fact that the descendants of two groups who experienced slavery can be sharing a meal in the most important house in the country is an incredible, amazing thing of hope,” Michelson said. “That’s what I want kids to get out of it – not to give up hope.”
Lesser recalls showing a photo from the first White House Seder to his grandmother, whose reply perfectly summed up its significance. “This is a miracle,” she told his family.
Each year, the White House Seder brought new memories, reflecting the evolution of the tradition and the lives of the staffers involved. New spouses and children, new decor and recipes added to the richness of the gathering, but things did not always go as planned. One year, the Secret Service tried to block the macaroons from entering the building, and they also refused to allow the White House to open a door for Elijah because of security concerns.
The book includes extensive bonus material, including a note from the three staffers who made the historic Seder possible, as well as additional information about Passover, the White House Seder, photographs, a Passover cake recipe and more.
“This book not only teaches young readers the importance of embracing tradition and honoring one’s culture, but also how powerful it can be to share these parts of ourselves with others,” Sandler Grinspoon said.
Families who would like to subscribe to PJ Library and receive free monthly books about Jewish culture and traditions can sign up here. To purchase a copy of Next Year in the White House, families can click here.
