Another historic first for the White House - President Barack Obama hosted the first Passover seder the White House has ever seen last Wednesday night. Included were his family, Reggie Love (his personal assistant and chief basketball partner), and several Jewish aides and their families.

The seder was reportedly planned by Eric Lesser, personal aide to David Axelrod, who planned a seder for the Obamas and their campaign staff while in Harrisburg, PA last year. Lesser was president of the Harvard Democrats when in school, letting us board members dream of the day when we, too, can organize presidential religious ceremonies.

But more importantly, isn’t anyone shocked that last week was the FIRST seder in the White House? Perhaps I’m jaded here at Penn and in my hometown of New York City, but it strikes me as bizarre that even our recent presidents, Bush and Clinton, didn’t host seders for their staff. We all know about Bush’s religious convictions and devotion to his Christian faith, but there’s no reason he didn’t have to host a ceremony that would symbolize reaching out to people of all faiths. Obama’s seder doesn’t make him any less Christian, nor does wearing a yarmulke. (I can’t tell for sure in the picture, look here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/09/obama-passover-seder-gues_n_185034.html and decide for yourselves.)

Obama has had to confront the issue of religion multiple times, but the seder was not an attempt t squash the rumors that he is a Muslim. It was held out of respect for his staff, and out of respect for his diverse population. This is more than giving a quick speech at a synagogue or mosque while on the campaign trail. This is about welcoming yet another population into the White House for the first time.