US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her Jewish husband, Doug Emhoff, celebrated the first night of Hanukkah on Thursday with a video in which they talked about their love for the holiday and lit a menorah.
Hanukkah, Harris said, “really is about the light, and bringing light where there has been darkness.”
“And there is so much work to be done in the world, to bring light,” she added.
Emhoff — who will become the first-ever Jewish spouse of president or vice president on Jan. 20 — said Hanukkah was “about spreading joy around the world and sharing it with your family, and your friends, and your neighbors, and your community.”
“That’s important right now,” he noted.
Hanukkah is one of our favorite holidays — and a reminder to spread the light at a time when we’ve never needed it more.
From our big, modern family to yours, happy Hanukkah! pic.twitter.com/KbkisZooCO
— Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) December 10, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden tweeted on Thursday, “As Hanukkah begins, Jill and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating in the United States and around the world. We know things look a little different this year, but we hope these next eight nights are filled with family, love, and light. Chag Sameach!”
As Hanukkah begins, Jill and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating in the United States and around the world. We know things look a little different this year, but we hope these next eight nights are filled with family, love, and light. Chag Sameach!
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 10, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an official Hanukkah message from the White House, stating, “During this holiday season, the First Lady and I send our warmest greetings to the millions of Jewish people in the United States and around the world as they begin the celebration of Hanukkah and the miracle that kept the flames of the menorah burning in the Second Temple for eight nights.”
“The candle-lighting tradition that began over 2,000 years ago is rooted in perseverance and faith — two virtues that are indicative of the Jewish culture and the Jewish faith,” he added.
“This year’s observance of the Festival of Lights comes at a time when the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel has never been stronger,” Trump asserted. “Over the past four years, my Administration has stood in unwavering solidarity with the Jewish people.”