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World Jewish News
Hundreds of U.S. Jews gather in Washington to celebrate Obama inauguration
20.01.2009
As President-elect Barack Obama dashed between multiple black-tie events on the eve of his inaugration Monday night, hundreds of Jews gathered in Washington for their own celebration.
The Jewish Community Inaugural Reception on Capitol Hill drew a crowd of some 800 attendees, including senators, lobbyists, senators and members of the public. Nobel laureate Elie Wiesl and actress Debra Winger were there to address the crowd as well, the JTA reported.
Obama's senior adviser, David Axelrod, delivered a keynote address before the cheering audience, saying he felt an "enormous sense of pride and satisfaction and gratitude" when learning on election night that some 78 percent of American Jews had cast their ballot for Obama.
The reception was a private event sponsore by nine Jewish American organizations: The National Jewish Democratic Council, the United Jewish Communities, the American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, AIPAC, NCSJ and the Jewish federations of New York, Chicago and Washington.
Meanwhile, the 56th presidential inauguration day began for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden with a traditional morning worship service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House. Bells pealed from the historic church's tower as Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived.
The Obamas waved to bystanders, then entered the church to applause from about 200 people. The choir and congregation began singing the hymn, O God Our Help in Ages Past.
The Rev. Luis Leon welcomed the Obamas and said every president since James Madison, the country's fourth, has worshipped at the church at least once, some of them kicking and screaming.
The inauguration is scheduled to begin at noon D.C. time (7 P.M. in Israel), but festivities will not end until well after midnight, with dancing and partying at 10 inaugural balls.
Three rabbis representing the three major branches of American Judaism have been selected to recite a prayer at the inauguration along with dozens of clergy representing other faiths, according to officials familiar with the plans.
The Jewish clergy chosen to speak at the service are Reform Rabbi David Saperstein, Conservative Rabbi Jerome Epstein and Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, sources said.
Most past presidents only had to choose from clergy of the American Protestant establishment for the inauguration services. Eventually, inaugural organizers added a priest or bishop to the ceremonies as the Catholic Church in the U.S. grew stronger. Rabbis were sometimes included.
Источник: HAARETZ.COM
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