Story at a glance
- The candelabra is the first menorah to ever be added to the White House collection.
- It features wood salvaged from the White House as well as a design based on items ordered by Thomas Jefferson.
- The creation and debut of the White House’s new menorah comes as the number of incidents targeting Jewish Americans hit a record high in 2021.
A menorah is making history at the White House. The candelabra, featuring historic wood from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., is the first menorah to ever be added to the White House collection.
The newly crafted menorah was recently unveiled as part of the Biden White House’s seasonal décor that will greet Christmastime visitors, and marks a groundbreaking addition to the holiday lineup there.
The menorah, poised to be used during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah when it begins on Dec. 18, was created by the Executive Residence Carpentry Shop last year, according to the White House.
In years past, the White House has been on the receiving end of menorahs on loan to use and display during the annual holiday, an official told The Hill. Typically, the Hanukkah lamps that found a temporary home at the White House held a special significance or a historical connection to the Jewish community.
A 2007 Hanukkah event at the White House included the parents of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, along with a menorah that once belonged to the Wall Street Journal reporter’s great-grandfather. In 2010, then-President Obama was on-hand to light the candles on a stainless steel and brass menorah that was recovered from a Louisiana synagogue damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Former President George W. Bush was the first commander in chief to feature a Hanukkah celebration as part of the holiday festivities at the White House in 2001. According to the White House Historical Association (WHHA), when the president and Laura Bush first expressed interest in adding a Hanukkah event to the list of holiday bashes, there was some concern that “the Jewish community would feel slighted for having a separate party” from the Christmas fetes.
“After pulling my jaw off the floor, I explained how proud and honored the community would be,” Noam Neusner, a friend of then-White House Jewish Liaison Adam Goldman, told the WHHA in 2020.
The new menorah will be added to the official White House collection and potentially used for years to come. Once an item has been added to the collection, it’s considered a permanent fixture of the White House archives, and can’t be removed by a future administration or the executive mansion’s staff.
The base of the menorah was crafted from historic wood that was removed from the White House around 1950 during a President Truman-era renovation.
Other components of the menorah also received a dose of presidential inspiration. The sterling silver candle cups were influenced by silver tumblers that President Thomas Jefferson ordered for his Virginia home, Monticello, in 1810.
The creation and debut of the White House’s new menorah comes as the number of incidents targeting Jewish Americans hit a record high in 2021, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The Jewish civil rights group said in its annual audit in April that a record 2,717 antisemitic incidents were reported last year.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged last month an “ugly increase in antisemitism” across the country, saying President Biden “is deeply concerned about hate-fueled violence” and has “taken significant steps to address antisemitic violence in America.” The White House’s new menorah is on display in the Cross Hall. The White House expects to welcome approximately 50,000 visitors during the holiday season.
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