Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Friday will be the first second family to hold a Passover Seder at the vice presidential residence.
Ms. Harris told Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday about their historic plans during a call about recent turmoil in the Middle East.
Mr. Emhoff is the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. president or vice president. The second family proudly celebrated Hanukkah last year and hosted a virtual Passover in March 2021.
CNN reports that Ms. Harris and Mr. Emhoff will be joined Friday by Jewish members of their staff and their loved ones.
The event is not only a historic first but another pivot to normal holiday gatherings after a rough year of coronavirus waves fueled by fast-moving variants.
The Biden administration is urging people to get vaccinated, boosted and return to their normal routines while unwinding pandemic-era rules.
However, it recently extended a federal mask mandate on public transportation through May 3 instead of letting it expire on Monday.
“For many, this will mark the first time in three years that families and friends will be able to gather around the Seder table — a testament to the life-saving miracle of modern medicine and the progress we’ve made to address an unforgiving pandemic,” Mr. Biden said Friday in a written statement on Passover.
Mr. Biden said the deliverance of enslaved Israelites from Egypt should inspire Americans to remember those who are struggling today.
“This Passover, we hold in our hearts the people of Ukraine and those around the world whose heroic stand against tyranny inspires us all,” he said. “The enduring spirit of this holiday continues to teach us that with faith, the driest desert can be crossed, the mightiest sea can be split, and hope never stops marching towards the promised land.”
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• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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