President Obama Welcomes Chabad Delegation

Earlier today, Monday, April 27, President Obama welcomed a delegation from Chabad-Lubavitch into the Oval Office to commemorate Education and Sharing Day, USA. Established by Congress in 1978 to honor the life’s work of The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, Education and Sharing Day provides an opportunity to focus on education’s importance and recognize the contributions Rabbi Schneerson made during his lifetime in the fields of education and morality, ethics and justice.

Since the establishment of Education and Sharing Day, which occurs on the Rebbe’s birthday, every President has issued an annual Proclamation marking “Education and Sharing Day, USA”. This year’s Education and Sharing Day Proclamation acknowledges the emphasis Rabbi Schneerson placed on the education of girls, noting: “In an era where a woman’s education was not valued the same as a man’s, the Rebbe worked to tear down barriers that stood in the way of girls who wanted to learn.”

In addition to issuing an annual proclamation, every President since the establishment of Education and Sharing Day has invited a delegation from the Chabad-Lubavitch movement into the Oval Office. The delegation included the leadership of American Friends of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbis Abraham and Levi Shemtov; Rabbi Yossy Gordon from Chabad on Campus; Rebbetzin Chave Hecht, a pioneers in girls’ education who has been teaching for more than 70 years; and Menachem Benjaminson and Chaya Goldstein, two children who are leaders in Chabad-Lubavitch children’s service organization, the Jewish Children’s Corps.

President Obama presented the nine-person delegation with a framed, commemorative copy of this year’s proclamation, which was signed on March 31, 2015, noting his appreciation for the Rebbe’s lifetime of work and recognizing that education is among many shared Jewish and American values – values that have shaped and strengthened his own connection to the Jewish community.

The President called combating rising anti-Semitism a moral obligation and emphasized that he will continue to raise the issue with other world leaders.

Finally, the delegation recited the blessing typically made upon meeting a head of state and presented the President with a menorah bearing an inscription, which reads in part:

Mr. President, you represent the middle flame, which stands on a higher plane, dedicated in service to others and the greater good, carrying the dreams and aspirations of an entire nation upon your shoulders.

15 Comments

  • Opportunity

    Do you think any of the mentioned anything about the injustice done to Sholom Mordechai? Lo samod al dom

  • Terrible!

    After the public snub to Netanyahu and Obama’s public display of contempt for the state of Israel, how does any jew ( let alone a leader) meet with this anti Semite?! Outright disgusting.

    • Ezra

      I know, right? I mean, what was Mordechai doing as an advisor to the known anti-Semite Achashverosh, or Daniel to Nevuchadnetzar, etc.? Why, they should have listened to “Terrible!” and very publicly defied those wicked kings. That would have shown them a thing or two!

  • Rebbetzin Chave Hecht

    It isn’t easy to choose one woman amongst the thousands of stellar shluchos. Rabbi Shemtov, you made the wisest choice – a prophetic one. I am certain beyond the shadow of a doubt that The Rebbe ziy”a is proud for he would have surely chosen Reb Hecht. מחיל אל חיל! May each of you be blessed with אריכות ימים ושנים טובות בגשמיות ורוחניות גם יחד and may you merit to continue to do the work the Rebbe has charged you with, ביתר שאת וביתר עז עד התגלות מלכנו משיחנו רוח אפינו! אמן

  • generals in tzivos hashem

    The 2 children are a 1 star and 3 star general in tzivos hashem and we’re addressed as general by President Obama.

  • Nachman S.

    Preferable if these people would influence to remove the issues from court which is a chilul Hasem and Chilul Lubavitch and go to a Din Torah and respect the outcome. Self understood that the above takes priority and is way more relevant in the scheme of things than meeting with the president. Vdal.

  • Weak pic placement

    The idea of including a woman in the delegation is a welcome one. But why must she stand with the children?
    It may well have been a coincidental set-up, but it seems to defeat the purpose by placing her with the children.

  • Jonathan

    One of the greatest enemies to Jews and Israel…and Chabad meets with him

  • It's NOT about Obama

    This meeting wasn’t about Obama, it was about the Kavod the highest office in the land gives our Rebbe, as is his due, in honor of Education Day USA.
    And bringing the children along was a stroke of genius. It was to prove in person what the Rebbe’s leadership and stand on education can produce. Rebbetzin Hecht happens to be the great grandmother of the young girl general, therefore she is standing with her, and the Three Star General was placed on the end of the line of Rabbis.
    So although many of us despise our president, he is still the leader of this great nation, and as such we owe it to the Rebbe not to allow Education Day to go unmarked, or to lapse.
    So Kol Hakavod Rabbi Shemtov for arranging this.

  • Sorry

    But as a Lubavitcher this does not bring any pride to me rather the opposite.

    I understand it might be necessary vchu but to be mifarsem brabim.
    When esther went before Acashveirosh she realized ” vchaasher ovadeti ovodeti”

  • coordinator

    Does anyone know who lobbied for the first education day in 1978?
    Rabbi Shem-Tov orchestrated but there were two bochurim at that time, who worked out of Stuart Eisenstats office. (Chief Domestic Policy Adviser, and Executive Director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff under jimmy carter) Can anyone name them??
    BTW Jimmy Carter was and is no lover of jews, yet he was the president who signed the bill after it passed through congress. So Chabad shluchin in the oval office getting a framed copy of the Proclamation from Obama is fantastic. BH. Nachas for the Rebbe

  • would women join before gimmul tammmuz?

    its not about opinion, rather fact.
    if the rebbe was still around, would they dare take women there?
    if yes, why didnt they do it then?

  • Collateral

    Congratulations to Rebbetzin Hecht from a former congregant of her youngest son.

    For those of you who wonder at Chabad meeting with a President who seems to be anti-Israel, bear in mind two things:

    1) Chabad is just as anti-Zionist as Satmar, they’re just not as public about it, because it’s bad PR when you’re in the kiruv business. So arguing that the President is anti-Zionist, would put him more in Chabad’s camp.

    2) Chabad is all about doing good for other Jews, yes, including those who live in Israel, and while the President may be talking the anti-Israel talk, he’s still walking the foreign-subsidy walk. So it’s still a good idea to maintain good relations with the leader of the Free World.

  • to 13

    open your brains.
    twenty years have passed.
    the rebbe said to live with times.
    its time for women in the white house.
    welcome Hillary.