Cheat Sheet

This may be the most absurd thing I've read all year. So Obama hosted a Seder for his friends and family and now he's being slammed for not inviting every Jewish person who wanted to come?

When he has a Christmas dinner, will Christians lash him for only having his friends and family?

Why are all these so-called religious people focusing on invitations rather than G-d's amazing deliverance of his people as told in Exodus?

This ranks right up there with giving 25 CD's that can't be played and an IPoD to someone who has had one for 4 years. This is how inept the thinking is in this Admin.
DING!!

When your the President, someone is going to be "B" listed for every single function. Let's focus on it being the first Seder hosted by the President of the US. Let my People Go!

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This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.

He was the first President to do this. Give him that.
Ok, so next year he'll increase the guest list.

I think he has bigger things on his (seder) plate to deal with as President right now.

When did the White House become a temple and a church?

The Prez is looking for a new religious complex to attend. If he can wait a while, a new Mosque is being built just down the street.

"25 CD's that can't be played" Wasn't it DVDs that can be played on a region-free machine which are easily available in the UK from all the major stores?

"and an IPoD to someone who has had one for 4 years." Do you mean the brand new video iPod the Queen asked for as her 4 year old one was a bit crap and can't play videos?

Lighten up. Why should anyone expect the POTUS to invite them to a function because of their religion or race or nationality. If BO wants to try a Seder that's his privilege - as it is anyone. This is just one more example of so-called spiritual leaders focusing on their self righteous belief in their privilege; no different in my mind then the fools at Notre Dame or the myriad self professed Christian leaders who waste everyone's time with their mealy mouth moral protestations. Further proof of the blatant stupidity of the religious establishment which continues to foist belief in a giant fairy in the sky as the solution to man/woman kind's problems instead of dealing with reality.

Christopher Hitchins is right - at it's base religion is a fraud and is the root of many of our problems. We don't livebin the dark ages and we need to grow up and realize that. The sooner we abandon these ancient beliefs and deal with the world we live in - rather then the promise of an afterlife - the better off we will be.

This was in fulfillment of a promise made last Passover at the end of a Seder during the PA primary. "Next year in The White House." President Obama pledged to host a Seder as a tribute to the work of his Jewish campaign aides who had missed so much family time while working for his election. It wasn't intended as a public event. That Axlerod and Emanuel didn't attend is means nothing. It was probably the wife's parents year.

Our President fulfilled a campaign promise to many who worked many hours...a kind and generous gesture. And, a first for the white house to hold a Seder. Shalom

Give the guy a break...
He blows his nose and it makes front page news.
( did he blow it on a kleenex, does he use a handkerchief, did he put it back in his pocket, did he use it a second time????
His life is under a microscope. I literally had the televisions removed from my house so I didn't have to go brain dead from all this ignorance. A good book and best of wishes to a President that has been more gracious to people of all other faiths than any in history. Let him do his job and people should quit being cry babies over such trivial matters.

The Big Tent concept applies to the Democratic Party (or government) as a whole, not to individual, social, familial, religious, and private gatherings. Why should anyone expect to have an automatic invitation to a private, non-governmental, non-political gathering at the White House residence?

I'm reminded of the joke about the mother who gave her son two shirts for his birthday. He puts one on right away, but the mother complains: "What's the matter - you didn't like the other one?"

It would be a shandah (a shame, in Yiddish) to look for something wrong here and overlook the gift in this moment.

I celebrate that we have a president who has attended previous seder(s), who appreciated the experience enough to bring it home, who understands the meanings of a seder both in its specific historical context AND its universal message, and who is our first president to host a White House seder.

I am thrilled that we have a president who is both worldly and inclusive enough to say "Bon apres-midi" to French students, "Guten Tag" to German students, "As-Salaam Aleykum" to a group in Turkey, do "the bump" with a D.C. teenager at the Youth Ball, hold an Open House on his first day as president, leave a prayer at the Western Wall, and who has invited gay families to the upcoming White House Easter Egg Hunt.

I am thankful that we have a (self-described) "mutt" as president, who is much greater than the sum of his black and white-ness, Christian with a Muslim father and a Rabbinical cousin-in-law, with roots in and connections to Kenya, the American heartland, Harvard, Chicago, Hawaii, Indonesia, urban and urbane, international and open, and making us a gift of his complexity.

Obama represents all of us. Anyone who is not so literal will see that all of America is being invited to the seder. L'Chayyim and pass the wine!

I think the White House should participate, ia every religion,so many are aching at least maybe that can bring some comfort. and atheis dinners too. Whatever your beliefs, if your respect other,each has to believe what they need to.so we can also be respected back. No one is 100% right,none are the perfect answer to all,and let there be peace.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought, once again, he was spot on. The President has to represent ALL Americans. And frankly we're a motley bunch...

I would expect David Axelrod and Rahm Emmanuel to be at home with their families having seder. Chag Sameach everyone!

CONNIE47 (UP TOP) GOT IT RIGHT! THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. ACKNOWLEDGES PASSOVER WITH A SEDER IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE FIRST THING IN THE PRESS "SLAMS" HIM FOR NOT INVITING THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
REALLY "FRICKIN" SAD !
SMS323232

A Seder is a Seder is a Seder and the point being put across is that if you're going to do it invite some Jewish friends not just a token. If the Obamas were having friends in for dinner then call it a dinner not a Seder. And he wasn't wearing a skull-cap!

It seems as though I'm in the minority here, based on what I've been reading in papers and blogs across the country, but could someone please remind the Obamas and Madonna that they are not Jewish. I don't go to synagogue, have a seder, or visit Israel for publicity. I do these things because it's my religion and my tradition, and that of my family and ancestors. When the Obamas and Madonna convert to Judaism, then I'd be more than happy to welcome them into my faith. Having a seder after saying it's okay to negotiate with terrorists does not a Jewish president make.