US President Donald Trump’s administration hosted a Shabbat gathering at the White House over the weekend after the president urged American Jews to observe the holy day in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The call marked the first time an American president had formally urged the observance of Shabbat.
Attendees included Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, members of the Trump administration, and Jewish leaders from both Orthodox and secular communities.
Terrell shared a video taken at the diner of those present dancing a circle-step hora, a traditional Jewish dance, among the tables.
“My Shabbat 250 at the White House was a BLAST! Shabbat Shalom!!!” the X post read.
Trump issued the call to Shabbat observance as part of a Jewish American Heritage Month proclamation issued on May 4.
“In special honor of 250 glorious years of American independence and during the weekend of Rededicate 250, a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are encouraged to observe a national Sabbath,” stated Trump in the proclamation.
“From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation. This day will recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty.”
The exhortation has received mixed reviews from the American Jewish community. Some Jews have said they appreciate the gesture and recognition of a central tradition in Judaism, and promoted their own Shabbat services as part of “Shabbat 250” this past weekend.
Others said Trump was appropriating Judaism to promote conservative political goals and Christian nationalism, a movement backed by a portion of Trump’s base that scholars say could push the country in a direction less hospitable to Jews.
Trump’s familial connections to Judaism include his daughter, Ivanka Trump, who converted to Orthodox Judaism before marrying Jared Kushner, the Special Envoy to the Middle East, and their children. Ivanka and her husband, reportedly, observe Shabbat according to traditional interpretations of Jewish law.
Jackie Hajdenberg/JTA contributed to this report.
