The moment the sacred object was taped to the wooden entrance of the Naval Observatory marks the first time an executive house has carried the sanctity mark of a Jewish home, according to Rabbi Peter Berg of the Jewish Congregation of Mercy. Thai (The Temple) in Atlanta, where mezuzah loan. Berg led a private ceremony at the Naval Observatory in October.
Emhoff was the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, and Harris was the first woman of color and the first woman of color to hold her title.
“It was an extraordinary moment in American history,” Berg told CNN in an interview. “And it was one of the greatest honors of my life to be able to stand there with the second family as they put that mezuzah on their home for the first time.”
A White House official told CNN that a mezuzah kept a small scroll containing the text of the Shema prayer and fulfilled the biblical commandment to stick it on the doorstep of the house. It represents protection for the home, marking it as a sacred and holy space, and a reminder to those inside to “devote yourself to a life of meaning, value, heart and soul.” compassion and love for all sentient beings.”
In attendance were Emhoff’s parents, who have not seen their son or Harris in person since before the inauguration because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Both the second gentleman and the vice president made it clear what it means to be standing here. Remember, this is not a public event. There are no cameras and no staff. There are no Jewish elected officials. It’s just a private family moment. And for me that’s what makes it so beautiful,” Berg said.
“When I started talking, we were all in tears because of the meaning and the history,” Berg said.
Berg said the October ceremony, which he wrote about, consisted of two traditional blessings: one to sanctify the space and the other to hang the mezuzah. A Shehecheyanu prayer was also recited, a ceremonial wish said to deify “something precious and new”, according to the official. The second family also participated in reading to make the ceremony more personal.
Emhoff ended up sharing those personal moments publicly ahead of the Thanksgiving break, posting pictures of himself on Twitter in the process of hammering the sacred pipe into the wall. A White House official said it was nearly a third of the way.
“One of my favorite memories is when our family visited and together we hung a mezuzah on the front door of the Vice President’s Mansion,” Emhoff wrote.
“He clearly recognizes how important it is to be first in this space, and I think he’s very honored to have the opportunity to help lead some of these truly important and meaningful traditions.” a White House official told CNN in March.
History made
The temple has specific social justice implications, having a long relationship with the civil rights movement and the fight against anti-Semitism.
Former Rabbi Jacob Rothschild’s relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr led to Rothschild honoring the civil rights leader in Atlanta after he won the Nobel Peace Prize. The temple is also home to Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was imprisoned in 1915. In more modern times, the Temple is now working to reduce homelessness in the community with multiple places. shelter founded by former cleric Sugarman.
That work, says Berg, led the second family to choose a mezuzah from the Temple because they wanted to be reminded of the Temple’s good qualities when they returned home.
The process began a few months ago when he received a call from an unknown number who said they were looking for a religious object for a “celebrity couple” who had recently moved to Washington, D.C. .
Berg first thought it was a prank call, before realizing the caller was referring to the vice president. After photographing the mezuzah and summarizing the temple’s long history, Berg said he didn’t get a response until months later – in June when he was invited on a vaccination tour. with Harris in Atlanta. Berg then talks to Harris backstage.
“They started kicking me out because I had 15 minutes and I said, ‘By the way, don’t forget mezuzah.’ She looked up and said, ‘If I told my husband once, I told him 100 times, we have to pick the mezuzah,’ Berg said, recalling the brief moment.
Months later, he was told that the Temple had been chosen and invited to DC for the ceremony.
“The world is filled with divisive politics, and this is just a moment of beautiful ceremony. There’s nothing political about it, just pure beauty,” Berg said.
‘Family is all’
The second family will mount a second mezuzah in the mansion, from the Jewish Life and Art Collection at the University of California Berkeley, according to the official.
It is a sterling silver mezuzah, designed by Jewish-American sculptor Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert.
“This mezuzah case has the Hebrew inscription, ‘You will be blessed when you come and you will be blessed when you go’ (Deuteronomy 28:6), a traditional greeting for travelers and tourists,” the official noted.
Joel Goldstein, a vice presidential historian, summed up what the historic moment means to CNN as “adhering to the pluralistic and inclusive ideals that have been the hallmarks of the Biden administration, as originally reflected. through Senator’s then-selection. Harris to be his running partner and currently serves her as vice president.”
Tradition stipulates that residents kiss the mezuzah when they enter the house. During the ceremony, the question arises whether to mount the cylinder vertically or horizontally. Berg informed the family that it was meant to be mounted diagonally.
“The reason why is because it reminds us of the compromise and peace that should exist in the family. I explained that tradition to the second family and they felt it had a very deep meaning.” , Berg said. “And I remember the vice president even said, ‘Family is everything.'”
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