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This year, to celebrate the ancient Jewish festival of lights, the White House added a menorah to its holiday lineup for the first time.
The nine-pronged candelabra was created by the Executive Residence Carpentry Shop out of wood removed from the building in 1950 during a Truman-era renovation, the White House says.
It now sits in Cross Hall, between portraits of former presidents Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson, as part of this year’s “We The People”-themed holiday display. The White House welcomes roughly 50,000 visitors each holiday season, in addition to offering virtual tours of the decorations.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are set to add the menorah to the permanent White House collection at a Hanukkah reception Monday evening, which will mark the first time a Jewish artifact is added to the White House archives, according to the White House.
Various menorahs of special significance have been loaned to the White House over the years, the Hill reports. It’s one of several ways the Biden administration is marking the holiday
The Biden administration marked the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday by publicly denouncing antisemitism after a rise in troubling incidents and hate speech. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is himself Jewish, lit the National Menorah on the White House Ellipse.
