Speaker 1 (02:02):
Distinguished guests, the President of the United States and Dr. Biden, accompanied by second gentlemen, Douglas Emhoff, Anne Neuberger, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove. And David [inaudible 00:02:16].
Douglas Emoff (02:15):
You ready? Good evening everyone. Great to see you all. On behalf of President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and my wife, Vice President Harris, welcome to the White House and Happy pre-Hanukkah. And to the President and First Lady, thank you so much for your friendship, your kindness, your support over these last four years. Kamala and I are forever grateful and we love you so much.
President Biden (03:19):
Thank you.
Jill Biden (03:19):
We love you, too.
Douglas Emoff (03:21):
Thank you. I'm just looking around this room and I see so many familiar faces and I'm reminded of when I first came into this role as the first-ever Second Gentleman, and many of you have heard me say this before. Now I thought being the first man ever in this role was going to be a pretty big deal. And it was. But it turned out that being the first Jewish person ever to be a White House principal was an even bigger deal. And I promised that I would continue as Second Gentleman to live openly, proudly, and with joy as a Jewish person. And that's exactly what I did. And with Kamala's love and encouragement, I was able to do that every step of the way. So thank you, Kamala. Kamala and I proudly affixed a mazuzah on our doorpost at the Vice President's residence. There's actually two mazuzahs, a mazuzot as I've been told. We've hosted Shabbat dinners, we've welcomed students to our home for Rosh Hashanah.
(04:37)
We held Passover Seders and sang Diyin. And every Hanukkah, we light our menorah and place it in the window for the entire world to see. And this year, we're going to do it again. This year as we prepared to leave a legacy of our time at the Vice President's residence, we planted a pomegranate tree. This tree commemorates both the pain and perseverance of the Jewish people, and it also honors the victims of October 7th and those who were taking hostage on that horrific day in Israel and those who are still being held captive. But even as we saw anti-Semitism continue to grow and rise in our country and around the world, I walked around with my head held high, my shoulders and chest back, so proud to be a Jew. And everywhere I went, I encouraged our community to do the same, not to cower and not to live in fear, ever.
(05:49)
And in spite of this scourge of anti-Semitism, we came together and I was proud to host many of you at a roundtable at the White House where we discussed how to overcome this hate. And then, we worked together to create the first ever national strategy to counter anti-Semitism. And we could not have done it without this guy, President Biden. We really couldn't. This is historic and I want to thank you for that and your steadfast leadership and commitment for prioritizing this strategy and making sure that we got it done. And after the strategy was complete, I traveled around the country and around the world building coalitions and uniting people of all different backgrounds because we know hate, it's like a venom coursing through the veins of our democracy, and we all need to be against it. So our work does not stop here. It does not stop when we leave the White House. So tonight, I am rededicating myself to fighting anti-Semitism and hatred of all kinds.
(07:05)
And I'm going to continue to speak out when it matters most, and I'm going to continue to show up for our community when these challenges persist. Last year, I had the honor of visiting the town where my great-grandparents were from in the old country. I never thought that this kid, born in Brooklyn, raised in Jersey, whose great-grandparents fled persecution from what is now Poland, would be standing here today in the White House with the President of the United States. I am so honored to have served as your nation's first ever Second Gentleman, and I thank you for welcoming so warmly. So now, please join me in welcoming Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, Anne Neuberger. Thank you so much.
Anne Neuberger (08:04):
Good evening, everyone. As we gather here in the White House to honor Hanukkah, I think about the power of this moment, telling the story of God's miracles and the faith Jews have held onto for centuries the power of miracles that have brought each of us here. The woman whose name I carry, my great-grandmother lost her life in Auschwitz. My grandmother survived and bore her number from Auschwitz on her arm and in her heart. From her, my parents taught me to be deeply grateful for the gift of welcome that America provided us. And to so many of the families in this room whose histories are tied to the hope we found in the light cast by Lady Liberty's torch. It's perhaps uniquely appropriate that Hanukkah is the final holiday we celebrate with President Joe Biden here at the White House, because this is a holiday that celebrates faith, hope, and the power of a little light to dispel a whole lot of darkness.
(09:21)
And over the course of his entire life and career, President Biden has embodied that enduring spirit. In his personal life, his faith in even the darkest hours inspires us all to find strength during our own challenges. And as President, we all recall his historic trip to Israel soon after October 7th. As our people reeled from pain, President Joe Biden came to pay a Shiva call. He came to mourn with us, to hold us through our suffering and remind us to never lose hope. That's President Joe Biden, always inspiring people to lead with dignity, integrity, and faith, and to spread their light in the darkness. As a community, our deep appreciation, Mr. President, as more than words can ever say, and I personally feel so blessed and grateful to be among the countless lives you've touched. Thank you for your leadership and for all you represent to the Jewish community, to America, and to the world. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the President of the United States.
President Joe Biden (11:07):
My name is Joe Biden. I'm Joe Biden's husband. And I was raised by some of you know me well, by a righteous Christian, my dad. My dad used to come home and rail against the fact that we didn't let the ship in, [inaudible 00:11:24] we didn't bomb the railroad tracks, et cetera. And my dad would always talk about our obligations. And my dad was the one that inspired me. And I see my fellow father-in-law out there, Ronnie Oliver. Ronnie is a good friend. And what happened was that my dad always thought that we had an obligation to step up and talk about what happened. And he inspired me to take every one of my children and grandchildren when they reached age of 14, their first trip in an aircraft overseas was to… Excuse me, to the camp, that I wanted them to see what it was like.
(12:11)
Wanted them to see that no one could have misunderstood what was going on in those camps. And so, they toured the camps, they toured them. So I wanted them to know that you couldn't pretend it didn't happen, and it should never happen again. And so, I learned a long time ago, you don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist. I'm a Zionist. To the world, Happy Hanukkah, everyone. Jill and I, and Kamala and Doug are honored to host you here at the White House. Doug, thank you for being such a great friend. And thank you, Anne. You've been a true friend and a real leader. And tell your son how proud of him I am. She has a beautiful son. And I want to thank you all for being here tonight. Look, when you walk around the White House, you feel the history and the story of our nation, including the story of the Jewish people who came to our shores in the 1600s after fleeing persecution abroad. Here in the East Room, there's a portrait of George Washington.
(13:10)
In 1790, a local Jewish leader from Newport, Rhode Island wrote a letter to President Washington expressing his hope that America would be a nation of religious freedom for all its citizens, a nation which, "Gives bigotry no sanction, and persecution no assistance." Like the ancient Hanukkah story, when Jewish Maccabees fought the religious freedom thousands of years ago, a letter to George Washington echoed the same vision for freedom. And ever since the values and contributions of the Jewish Americans have shaped the very foundation and character of our nation. That's why two years ago, Jill and I displayed the first ever permanent White House menorah made of the original wood from the White House building. We displayed it again tonight to make clear that history and vibrancy of the Jewish life is woven into the fabric of America. Every aspect of it. And it's permanent. It's permanent. But I know this year's Hanukkah falls on the hearts that are still very heavy.
(14:09)
It's the second Hanukkah since the horrors of October 7th, over a thousand slaughtered, hundreds taken hostage, unspeakable sexual violence, and so much more. The trauma of that day and its aftermath is still raw and ongoing. I've gotten over a hundred hostages out. I will not stop until I get every single one of them home. Last month, we secured a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon so residents can safely return home. I've said many times before, my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people and security of Israel, and its right to exist as independent nation state remains ironclad. I know the Jewish community is also suffering from despicable surge of anti-Semitism in America and all around the world. It's immoral, it's wrong, and it must stop now. And Doug, I want to thank you. Thank you for your leadership in this effort. I really mean it, sincerely. And I know it's hard to find hope while carrying so much sorrow. But from my perspective, Jewish people have always embodied the duality of pain and joy.
(15:26)
The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said, "People that can walk through a valley of shadow of death and still rejoice is a people that cannot be defeated by any force of fear." That resilience and that capacity to find faith and joy despite centuries of persecution and pain is your light, like the light of miracles throughout the Jewish history from the Menorah oil lasting eight days, to the miracle of Israel itself. Look, let me close with this. Throughout my life, rabbis, Jewish friends, colleagues have always been there for me and my family, and we've gone through very tough times. And I mean it sincerely, been there on our doorstep, in our home with us. They taught us so much about the optimistic spirit of the Jewish people.
(16:16)
Above all, they taught me one thing. We can never lose hope. Hope, hope, hope. I've seen the power of that hope in my own life and the life of our nation. Next week, you'll light the eight candles in your menorahs. My final Hanukkah message to you is this, as President, this is to hold onto that hope. Shine your light, shine the light of optimism. And above all, keep the faith. Keep the faith. May God bless you. Happy Hanukkah. And now I turn it over to Rabbi Cosgrove. Rabbi Cosgrove, by the way, I visited his synagogue in New York. He was so nice to me after, too. Rabbi, it's all yours kid. Go get them.
Rabbi Cosgrove (17:25):
Mr. President and Dr. Biden, on behalf of American Jewry with one voice and one heart, we are here to say we love you and we will miss you. We love you for your lifelong friendship with and support for the Jewish people. The lessons taught to you by your father of blessed memory, on the price of inaction, and the lessons you have taught us all on the perils of indifference. Thank you for taking a stand against a scourge of anti-Semitism and for your steadfast support of Israel, especially in our darkest hour on October 7th. And ever since, protecting Israel's security, working to bring hostages home and easing the suffering of all people, Israelis and Palestinians alike. Thank you for the legacy you leave for all of us of empathy, of civility and being a mensch that is the heart of our great nation. Mr. President and Dr. Biden, for all these and so many more reasons, we love you and we will miss you.
(18:54)
Tonight, we celebrate Hanukkah by kindling the lights of the menorah. Hanukkah doesn't actually start for a bit, so when we sing the blessings, we're going to substitute Hashem in place of God's name. Hanukkah tells a story of our Maccabee ancestors, who upon entering the temple that was destroyed by the Greeks, found a single cruise of oil enough for just one night, and it miraculously lasted for eight. The sages asked the obvious question, if there was enough oil for one night, then that first night technically was not a miracle. Hanukkah should be a seven-night festival. And while explanations abound for the miracle of the first night, the one that I believe speaks most urgently to this moment is that upon entering the ruins of the temple, one imagines that our ancestors ask themselves, how can we possibly get through this darkness? And yet, they did not give into despair. They found the spiritual reserves to kindle that first light of faith, to light the candle at all.
(20:13)
That was a miracle of the first night, a greater miracle perhaps, than all the other days combined. As did our ancestors in their day, so too in our own, tonight, we have entered this house and we light the candle, choosing hope over despair and light over darkness, committed to bringing miracles into our world in such desperate need of healing. Please join me in reciting the three blessings, loud and proud, followed by [inaudible 00:20:50].
(20:48)
[Foreign language 00:20:56].
(22:49)
Happy Hanukkah.