Next Year in the White House

Barack Obama's First Presidential Seder

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Crown Books for Young Readers

(pub. 3.4.2025)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Richard Michelson

   Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Characters: President Barack Obama and Seder guests

Overview:

" In 1800, President John Adams held the first formal Christmas dinner at the newly built White House. In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes observed Easter with a public “Egg Roll." But it wasn’t until 2009 that a US president officially celebrated Passover.

A year earlier, on the campaign trail, three staffers had to get creative in order to host a Seder dinner. They gathered in a hotel basement, joined by candidate Barack Obama. They made the most of their surroundings and modest dinner, shared the stories and rituals of the holiday, and found connections between their communities. They made a toast and a promise to a future, grander celebration: next year in the White House.

Tantalizing taste:

Senator Barack Obama said, "'The odds were against the Israelites, but patience and hope kept them going when nobody thought they would survive. They believed in hard work and miracles."

It was almost midnight. Everyone was tired, but no one was lonely hungry, or sad. 'We have a family,' Barack said...

Malia and Sasha listen to their father talk about last year's Seder in a basement. Their mother says it is a miracle that the descendants of two enslaved peoples are now free to share a meal together in the White House, at the invitation of America's first black president."

And something more: A Note from Herbie Ziskend, Eric Lesser, and Arun Chanudhary: "The purpose of Passover is to tell the story of freedom in your own way and in your time, and so to be included in a book like this is a tremendous honor...At its heart, it's about the family you have and the family you make."