Second family becomes first to affix a mezuzah on executive home

Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff achieved another first in their historic roles when they affixed a white mezuzah to the right-hand side of the doorway of the vice presidential residence. The moment the sacred object was affixed to the Naval Observatory's wooden entryway marked the first time an executive home has carried the abiding sign of sanctity of a Jewish home, according to Rabbi Peter Berg of Hebrew Benevolent Congregation (The Temple) in Atlanta, which loaned the mezuzah. Berg led the private ceremony at the Naval Observatory in October. Emhoff is the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president, and Harris is the first woman and first woman of color to hold her title."It's an extraordinary moment in United States history," Berg told CNN in an interview. "And it was one of the great honors of my lifetime to be able to stand there with the second family as they placed that mezuzah on their home for the very first time."A mezuzah houses a small scroll that includes text of the Shema prayer, and fulfills the biblical commandment to affix the object on the doorpost of the home, a White House official told CNN. It signifies protection for the home, marking it as a sacred and holy space, and a reminder for those inside "to devote themselves to lives of meaning, value, kindness and love for all beings."In attendance were Emhoff's parents, who had not seen their son or Harris in person since before the inauguration because of the Covid-19 pandemic."Both the second gentleman and the vice president spoke off the cuff about what it meant to them to be standing here. Remember, this was not a public event. There were no cameras and no staffers there. There weren't Jewish elected officials. It was just a private family moment. And that to me is what made it so beautiful," Berg said."When I started talking, we all teared up because of the significance and the history," Berg said. Berg said October's ceremony, which he wrote, included two traditional blessings: one to sanctify the space and another to hang the mezuzah. A Shehecheyanu prayer was also recited, a ritual blessing said to sanctify "something precious and new," per the official. The second family also participated in the reading to make the ceremony more personal. Emhoff eventually shared those personal moments publicly ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, posting photos of himself on Twitter in the process of hammering the sacred tube to the wall. One White House official said it sits roughly one-third of the way up."One of my favorite memories was when our family visited and together, we hung a mezuzah on the front door of the Vice President's Residence," Emhoff wrote. This ceremony marks the latest way Emhoff and Harris have celebrated the second gentleman's Jewish faith during the first year in their new roles in the Biden administration.


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Article Link: https://us.cnn.com/2021/11/20/politics/mezuzah-vice-president-home/index.html


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