Trump administration officials joined Jewish community leaders and activists at the White House on Friday ahead of a special Shabbat marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
My Shabbat 250 at the @WhiteHouse was a BLAST! Shabbat Shalom!!!@realdonaldtrump @potus @DAGToddBlanche @ASGWoodward pic.twitter.com/ZKfIyQswF2
— Leo Terrell (@LeoTerrellDOJ) May 16, 2026
The reception at the White House’s Indian Treaty Room lasted about an hour and ended before Shabbat, in accordance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Jews to observe the Jewish day of rest from sundown May 15 to nightfall May 16, COLlive reported.
Guests received commemorative copies of Trump’s proclamation along with a Shabbat handbook produced for the occasion by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, according to the religious news outlet.
Following the reception, participants gathered at Decatur House, the historic museum adjacent to the White House complex, for a kosher Shabbat dinner.
Trump on May 4 called for Jewish Americans to observe a national Shabbat in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
“In special honor of 250 glorious years of American independence and on the weekend of Rededicate 250—a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving—Jewish Americans are encouraged to observe a national Sabbath,” Trump wrote in his proclamation of the annual heritage month.
“From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great nation,” he wrote. “This day will recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection and gratitude to the Almighty.”
The president also called on “all Americans to celebrate their faith and freedom throughout this year, during this month, and especially on Shabbat to celebrate our 250th year.”
