President Barack Obama’s Passover message last week cited the Israeli national anthem’s invocation of an ancient Jewish longing for a homeland.
Speaking of his recent trip to Israel, Obama said, “I had the chance to speak directly with young Israelis about the future they wanted for their country, their region and the world. And I saw once again how the dream of true freedom found its full expression in those words of hope from ‘Hatikvah,’ lihyot am chofshi be’artzeinu, to be a free people in our land.”
The Obamas on March 25 hosted a seder, a White House tradition they began. The event featured a seder plate given as a gift by Sara Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister’s wife, to Michelle Obama, the first lady. — jta