The Jewish festival of Passover begins this evening and, according to The Forward, tonight the President and First Lady will be hosting the annual White House Passover Seder that has become a tradition ever since Obama joined three staff members in 2008 during the Pennsylvania primary for a makeshift seder in a basement hotel conference room. As usual, only around 20 people will participate in the White House Seder. According to the Washington Post, Obama has added some unique White House traditions to the Seder ceremony-- using the Truman china for the Seder in honor of the President who first recognized the Sate of Israel, and reading of the Emancipation Proclamation after completing the Passover story. It is anticipated that the White House will also release the President's annual Passover greetings later today.
UPDATE: Here is the full text of the President's Statement on Passover, sending "warmest wishes to all those celebrating Passover here in America, in the State of Israel, and around the world."
