PJ Library, in partnership with Penguin Random House’s Crown Books for Young Readers, is excited to announce the release of “Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama’s First Presidential Seder,” a heartwarming Passover children's book by award-winning author Richard Michelson and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E.B. Lewis.
The picture book introduces readers to the true story of how a small Passover seder dinner on the 2008 presidential campaign trail inspired then-Senator Barack Obama to bring this meaningful tradition into the White House for the first time.
“This book not only teaches young readers the importance of embracing tradition and honoring one’s culture, but also how powerful it can be to share these parts of ourselves with others,” said Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, President, Harold Grinspoon Foundation. “‘Next Year in the White House’ provides a beautiful example of people of different faiths and traditions coming together to find common ground in the power of stories.”
PJ Library inspires joyful Jewish experiences by sending free monthly storybooks and activities to families with children, offering ways to connect with community, tradition, history and culture in fun and exciting ways. “Next Year in the White House” is a March 2025 PJ Library offering, and 8-year-old subscribers in North America will receive the book in time for Passover.
In “Next Year in the White House,” readers learn how three junior staffers on Obama’s 2008 campaign trail found themselves in a basement hotel room on the first night of Passover, far from their families. Eager to celebrate the Jewish holiday, they organized an impromptu seder and, to their surprise, Obama joined them. The dinner ended with a toast and a promise to a future, grander celebration – next year in the White House. President Obama kept that promise the next year, hosting the first-ever official Passover Seder at the White House, marking a momentous occasion in American history and an important tradition that would continue beyond his presidency.
This beautiful book from the 2017 National Jewish Book Award-winning author and five-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator is ideal for families looking to share a story that blends history, tradition, and the spirit of the Jewish holiday. It also highlights two different cultures, both descendants of slavery, coming together and sharing a connection to themes at the heart of the Passover story: liberation, perseverance and resilience.
“Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays, and the story of the Exodus tells a profound tale of liberation that has resonated far beyond the Jewish community, as demonstrated in this book,” said Sandler Grinspoon. “It’s only fitting for PJ Library to now be telling the story behind a great moment in Jewish-American history – one that’s allowed Jewish kids to see their own holiday celebrated at the White House.”
The book includes extensive bonus material, including a note from the three staffers, Eric Lesser, Herbie Ziskend, and Arun Chaudhary, who made the historic Seder possible, as well as more information about Passover, the White House Seder, photographs, a Passover cake recipe and more.