And she had a guy - her staff member - to my right. (Applause.) And during the Six-Day War, I had an opportunity to - she invited me to come over because I was going to be the liaison between she and the Egyptians about the Suez, and so on and so forth.Īnd I sat in front of her desk, Chuck. I have known every - every prime minister well since Golda Meir, including Golda Meir. I said - and then, all of a sudden, I realized, “God, you’re getting old, Biden.” (Laughter.) I was saying to a couple of younger members of my staff, before I came over, about the many times I’ve been to Israel. Ambassador, I look forward to working with you to reaffirm the longstanding ties between the United States and the State of Israel. (Applause.)Īnd I want to welcome Israel’s newest Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog. (Applause.)Īnd one of the brightest scientists and docs I know: the head of OSTP, Director Eric Lander. And I want to thank you, Ali, for all you do. (Applause.)Īnd Secretary of Homeland Security, Ali Mayorkas, who has maybe one of the toughest jobs in government, one of the - the widest breadth. (Applause.) He is practicing the Jewish tradition of restoring justice to the Justice Department. You know, first of all, I want to welcome our Cabinet members: Attorney General Merrick Garland. And this is a White House tradition - a White House tradition - but the first time in history it is a family tradition.ĭoug, we’re honored that you - you’re leading the Menorah lighting.Īnd I - I see my dear friends in - from Congress and the community out there, many of whom I’ve known for a long, long time.Īnd I know how many more are joining us virtually. THE PRESIDENT: You know, first, I want to thank Doug and Kamala. My name is Joe Biden, and I am Jill’s husband - (laughter) - as I’m known here in Washington and many other places.
Get Involved Show submenu for “Get Involved””.The White House Show submenu for “The White House””.Office of the United States Trade Representative.Office of Science and Technology Policy.Executive Offices Show submenu for “Executive Offices””.Administration Show submenu for “Administration””.And so, as the governing body of a private building, the board has more latitude in how it decorates its lobby than City Hall does. While the Supreme Court has weighed in on holiday displays in public spaces, ruling that a menorah is not a religious symbol when it appears alongside a Christmas tree, a co-op’s lobby is not a public space. Generally, Christmas and Hanukkah share the stage. What can I do?Ī: New York City apartment buildings regularly decorate lobbies and common areas with festive holiday displays, usually avoiding overtly religious symbols in favor of more secular ones. As a Jewish person, I was deeply hurt by these actions and the president’s behavior, which I perceived as discriminatory. I inquired with the board, but it didn’t change its position. I raised the issue with the board chair, who screamed at me that a menorah is a religious symbol, while a Christmas tree celebrates the spirit of the season. Last year, after a new board was elected, the menorah was replaced with a smaller one by the elevator, out of sight of visitors. Q: My husband and I live in a Midtown East luxury co-op that, for many years, displayed both a large Christmas tree and a menorah in the lobby during the holidays.
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