At final Hanukkah party, Obama extols religious freedom, ignores elephant in room
Five weeks before Trump assumes power, president tells American Jews: ‘We look forward to working with you on the other side’

WASHINGTON — At his final White House Hanukkah celebration on Wednesday, President Barack Obama spoke of the organized Jewish community’s widespread support for religious freedom, while ignoring the elephant in the room: his incoming successor President-elect Donald Trump, of whom the majority of American Jews disapprove.
In the recent election, 71% of US Jews voted for Trump’s Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, while only 24% backed the former reality television star, according to an exit poll conducted by The New York Times. One of the most common criticisms of Trump from Jewish leaders throughout the campaign was his proposal to temporarily ban Muslim entry into the United States.
In his remarks to two separate afternoon and evening candle-lighting ceremonies, each in the East Room of the White House, Obama abstained from mentioning the man soon to occupy his current office and residence, but invoked themes likely on the minds of many there pertaining to Trump.
“The first chapter of the Hanukkah story was written 22 centuries ago, when rulers banned religious rituals and persecuted Jews who dared to observe their faith,” Obama said. “Which is why we are asked today to not only light the menorah but to proudly display it, to publicize the mitzvah.”
“Everybody in America can understand the spirit of this tradition, proudly practicing our religion, whatever it might be and defending the rights of others to do the same,” he added. “That’s our common creed.”

Attending the afternoon ceremony was the family of the late Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust-surviving Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who died in June and had developed a relationship with Obama over the course of his presidency.
The menorah used for the candle-lighting ritual was one made by Wiesel’s young granddaughter Shira when she was a kindergarten student several years ago.
Obama compared that menorah — which was made in an arts and crafts fashion — to others he has lit in years past and called it his favorite.
He said it was “a reminder that a menorah is not valuable because it’s forged in silver or gold, it’s treasured because it was shaped by a young girl who proves with her presence that the Jewish people survive, through centuries of exile and persecution and even the genocide of families like the Wiesel’s endured.”
Wiesel would often meet with Obama to discuss international affairs and philosophy. Nonetheless, the two maintained different beliefs about how to curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with Wiesel publicly opposed to the landmark pact.
Wiesel also attended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial 2015 address before Congress lambasting the deal, a move by the Israeli leader that was said to have infuriated the Obama administration.
Seeking to draw lessons from the Hannukah story, Obama said it demonstrated “how a small group can make a big difference, how a little bit can go a long way like the small measure of oil that outlasted every expectation.”
“It reminds us that even when our resources seem limited, our faith can help us make the most of what little we have,” he added. “The small state of Israel and relatively small Jewish population of this country have punched far above their weight in their contributions to the world.”
The president closed the ceremony by thanking the American Jewish community for its “dedication” to “our country, to the historic progress that we’ve made, to the defense of religious freedom in the United States and around the world.”
Before exiting the stage, he added: “We look forward to working with you on the other side on January 20,” the day he will leave the White House and become a private citizen again.
At the later evening reception, Obama reiterated similar remarks but was joined by relatives of Israel’s recently deceased elder statesman Shimon Peres, who lit candles with Obama using a family heirloom menorah that survived the Holocaust, preserved by the family of the late president’s son-in-law.
Peres, who died in September from a massive stroke, was the Israeli leader closest to Obama during his tenure. Obama awarded Peres the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and flew to Jerusalem earlier this yea to attend his funeral.
Peres’s son Chemi, grandson Guy and granddaughter Mika, joined the president on Wednesday.
“I would like to thank President Barack Obama from the depths of my heart for this very moving tribute in memory of my father,” Chemi Peres told The Times of Israel in a statement. “The lighting of Hanukkah candles in a menorah that survived the Holocaust is not only extremely meaningful to my family, but also a unique act of respect to Jewish tradition.”

Also in attendance was Merrick Garland, chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Obama’s nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia after his sudden death last February.
Obama acknowledged the exceeding likelihood that Garland would no longer be confirmed to the high court, an outcome that became evident after Trump’s election last month. On Wednesday, Obama said Garland “would continue to serve our country with distinction” in his current post.