The husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff, brought a message about combating “hate” as the special guest for the annual lighting of the National Hanukkah Menorah on Sunday.
“Like so many of us gathered here today, my family members left Europe in search of safety and security. They came to the United States, among the huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. They built a life here: raised children, opened businesses, worshiped at synagogues. And yet, we know, the freedom that my family members, that American Jews everywhere, have yearned for and championed … the freedom that our nation promises to all those who live and worship here … That freedom has, at times, been undermined by hate,” Emhoff will say, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks released by the White House.
Emhoff, who is the first Jewish spouse of a vice president, was picked as this year’s special guest, a continuation of the tradition of someone from the administration in power making an appearance, to speak and help light the 30-foot menorah on the Ellipse in front of the White House.
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Emhoff’s remarks also addressed antisemitism and the importance of Jewish history and values, which he said mirror the history and values of the U.S.
“As the vice president said a few weeks ago, we must fight antisemitism and hate of every kind, and call it out when we see it. We know that this hate is horrible but not at all new, a fact that the vice president and I were reminded of at Yad Vashem in Israel a few years ago, and at the Shoah Memorial in France that I visited just weeks ago,” Emhoff is expected to say in his speech.
“But we also know that the story of Hanukkah is the history of a people who do not simply persevere in the face of tragedy, but ones who are committed to their faith, proud of their tradition, and grateful for the many miracles and blessings in our lives. And on this first night of Hanukkah, that is what we celebrate,” the remarks continue.
Sunday evening marks the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, and the American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) held its annual event to light the National Hanukkah Menorah. The annual lighting ceremony of the National Menorah, the world’s largest menorah, is viewed by tens of millions across the nation and around the world, according to the National Menorah’s website.
Hanukkah, which lasts eight days, celebrates the victory of a small band of Jewish warriors, the Maccabees, against a much larger Greek-Syrian army in 165 B.C. The ceremonial lighting of the menorah, a nine-branch candelabrum, recognizes when the Jewish people rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the invading army left. According to the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people only had enough oil left to light the temple’s menorah for one day, but by some miracle, it lasted eight days, the time it took to make more oil. This is called the “Miracle of Hanukkah.”
“On this first night of Hanukkah, Jews around the world will light their menorahs in the windows of their homes — something the vice president and I will do later this evening,” Emhoff is expected to say. “As we light this menorah on the lawn of the free, let us rededicate ourselves to doing everything we can to shine a light on hate, so we can put an end to hate.”
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Among the past guests for the National Menorah tradition, dating back to 1979, include President Joe Biden, then the vice president, in 2014.
Biden discussed how Jewish values are an essential part of who U.S. citizens are. Similar to Emhoff, Biden said it was “fair to say that Jewish heritage is American heritage,” according to C-SPAN.
