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May 17, 2011

L.A. leaders visit White House in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month

By Julie Gruenbaum Fax

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Four leaders of the Los Angeles Jewish community were among about 200 people who met President Barack Obama during a White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month.

“To be inside the home of the locus of power of our country and for Western democracy is a pretty extraordinary thing,” said Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, leader of Temple Beth Am. “And it’s no small thing that a lot of people at this event are the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of refugees who came to America on the promise of freedom and possibility of equality.”

Temple Beth Am member Michele Wolf was also present. Wolf, a Jewish Journal blogger, helped create HaMercaz, a clearinghouse for resources for families with special-needs children. Sally Weber, director of Jewish community and special-needs programs for Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles also attended, along with Rabbi Denise Eger of Congregation Kol Ami, who is the immediate past president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

“Everyone in the room turned into eighth-grade kids when President Obama walked in, jockeying for position and snapping pictures,” said Kligfeld, who shook the president’s hand. “He carries a burden that is unfathomable to me, and to be that close to someone who carries such responsibility really brought out a sense of awe.”

Kligfeld said one his colleagues recited the blessing one says upon seeing a person of power, thanking God for endowing humans with the ability to lead.

Guests were treated to a light fare of salads, pastries and fruit, along with wine and plenty of seltzer (or maybe it was sparkling mineral water?), all under kosher supervision. The Marine Corps strings band played HaTikvah, and the Maccabeats, Yeshiva University’s a cappella group, sang both for the group and in a private audience with the president.

Also present were author Elie Wiesel; Richard Joel, president of Yeshiva University; Arnold Eisen, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary; Rabbis Eric Yoffie and Richard Jacobs, outgoing and incoming presidents, respectively, of the Union for Reform Judaism; Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg; Jewish members of Congress, and rabbis, academics, philanthropists and Jewish professionals from a broad cross section of Jewish life.

The president kept his remarks short, according to Kligfeld, acknowledging the contributions Jews have made to American society, and reaffirming his commitment to Israel.

In a briefing before the reception, leaders had a chance to meet the incoming ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, and a member of Obama’s economic team, who discussed some of the ethical considerations of budgeting, such as caring for elders.

Eger said Shapiro talked about military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries, and affirmed the administration’s commitment to continuing bilateral negotiations in the Middle East.

“I still think there are some in the Jewish community who question President Obama’s commitment to Israel, and I have to say I have no question about the president’s commitment after hearing this briefing today,” Eger said.

This was Eger’s second handshake with the president. The rabbi delivered the invocation at USC when Obama spoke there last November. But, she said, she was humbled by the opportunity to walk into the White House not on tour, but with an invitation.

“To have Jewish American life and Jewish American contributions to the United States celebrated in the people’s house this way, it still a pretty unique thing,” she said.

In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed the month of May to be a celebration of the more-than 350 years of Jewish contributions to culture in the United States.

Kligfeld said he was moved by the surge of awe and excitement the physical proximity inspired, in a way that a digital image can’t.

“That is something I will take back, in terms of how to help people feel that surge of excitement and anticipation of being in the presence of something extraordinary. That is what synagogue life should be, and it’s not always that way,” Kligfeld said, noting that the object of adoration in the synagogue should be not a person, but the tradition and the texts.

“I think everyone in that room felt it, and there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to recreate that on some level in our synagogue worship.” 

 

A version of this article appeared in print.

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Comment by Robin Rosenblatt on 5/17/11 at 4:50 pm

Wake up Los Angeles. The Delegitimizing of Israel is Happening. NOW.
http://wwwtwosetsofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/it-takes-village-aspen-delegitimizing.html

Comment by sara on 5/17/11 at 5:40 pm

President Obama in fine pre-election year form telling everybody what he’s all about. Believe I’d heard same in 2007. Fact!  How a president acts,  not what he says, that counts and to date Mr. Obama is revealed as no “friend” to Israel. His incredibly rank decision demanding Netanyahu cease building apartments in Jerusalem allowed Abbas to put that conformance as a prerequisite to peace dialogue; effectively wasting two years potential negotiations.  That plus Obama’s appointment of George Mitchell another Israel naysayer, among deeds that define Obama’s ends.  Appears our L.A. emissaries swallowed more than the Kosher fare. “Eighth grade kids” need feeding.  Auntie Mame

Comment by Mr. Againster on 5/17/11 at 5:50 pm

I agree with Mr. Againster, Obama is no friend of Israel. He is, however, very good at saying the right things to whichever group he addresses—a Pied Piper who is leading the Jewish sycophants to the destruction of all Jews and Israel. I say WAKE UP!!! Don’t believe what you hear, but watch the actions and deeds, and the future results—have a clear eye toward the consequences. Eger is a paid tool of Obama and is as dangerous as Obama himself—a mole within the Jewish community.

Comment by Richard Mann, PhD on 5/17/11 at 6:55 pm

The mainstream Jewish organizations are asleep at the wheel. People have to wake up and stop the groupthink. I left the Democrat party because it is has become the party of the “New Anti-Semitism.” http://wwwtwosetsofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-are-jewish-federation-and-hillel.html

Comment by sara on 5/17/11 at 7:01 pm

I am no great supporter of Obama, and not even a supporter at all, FDR being the last president I admired, but folks, OBAMA IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and is responsible to all the American people, only a handful of whom are Jewish. True, without Jewish money he wouldn’t be in the White House, but were those big donations intended to “buy” him?

Comment by HollywoodJeff on 5/17/11 at 7:41 pm

The problem is the ‘Israel’ that Obama is committed to is not the same ‘Israel’ that most Jews understand. Here in the land down-under we see Obama extending his hand to Israel’s enemies whilst turning his back on its friends. He indicated he is going to press the Israelis for more concessions - what, for example, is he doing to ‘press’ the Palestinians into formally accepting the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state? Without this, he is wasting everybody’s time.

Comment by Ben Derusai on 5/18/11 at 12:41 am

Jeff, in full disclosure, you are on record for being an Israel hater. I am sure you would take much greater pleasure leaving the handling of the president in the hands of the Arab and oil lobbies, not to mention Israel haters like you.

Comment by Mini on 5/18/11 at 7:52 am

I admit it. Although I have good (not “best”) Israeli friends and one can find better Jews in Israel than in the US, because they don’t carry tha “guilt” baggage inflicted on diaspora Jews, Israel, as a whole, I find disgusting. Apart from that, the US and its president owe Israel nothing. It’s a foreign country where the people talk funny and think the world owes them something. It does: a kick in the tuchus.

Comment by HollywoodJeff on 5/18/11 at 8:38 am

Jeff, you are da man. Our pride an joy. Yawn.

Comment by Avi on 5/18/11 at 1:07 pm

So now we’ve heard Obama’s most recent speech and are there any questions folks? Those dratted “Jewish settlements” again and nary a discouraging word regards “negotiating” with Hamas nor continued missile attacks on Israel. So all you ladies and gents who lunch at the White House and can be bought by a stale bagel and faux cream cheese have even more reasons to love our president. ‘Bout time you Holly Golightlies figure-out what Barack Hussein Obama is truly all about. Aunty Mame

Comment by Mr. Againster on 5/20/11 at 12:09 am

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