President Joe Biden will host a reception on Monday night at The White House to celebrate Hanukkah amid a rise in antisemitic incidents during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The reception will be attended by Biden, first lady Jill Biden, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and a guest list of nearly 800 people, according to The Associated Press.
Emhoff, who is Jewish, will light the menorah alongside members of the White House staff who are descendants of Holocaust survivors, per Daily Mail.
Attendees at the reception will include other Holocaust survivors, members of Congress, entertainers, and state and local officials.
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City, is expected to lead the reception to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah, per the AP.
The White House has said that Biden plans to discuss the importance of the holiday and the timelessness of the miracles associated with it.
This event comes as the nation endures a drastic increase in antisemitic incidents since Hamas first attacked Israel on October 7.
As of Monday, there had been 2,031 antisemitic incidents since the terror attack, reports a news release from the Anti-Defamation League. This number indicates a 337% increase in incidents over the same time period in 2022, with an additional 465 incidents occurring this year.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, stated in the release that there has been a “terrifying pattern of antisemitic attacks has been relentless since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, with no signs of diminishing.”
“The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate. Public officials and college leaders must turn down the temperature and take clear action to show this behavior is unacceptable to prevent more violence.”
