SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/04/bonus-passover-interview-next-year-in.html

Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama's First Presidential Seder, written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis, is a nonfiction picture book that gives us the true backstory of how Passover first came to be celebrated in the White House. It's a stunning book; it received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, and was named to the Association of Jewish Libraries' Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights list.

Because this is a true story, I was able to interview one of the "characters" -- Eric Lesser, seen in the photo above, walking with President Obama. Lesser worked on the Obama campaign trail in 2008, and later became a White House aide. He's also served as a Massachusetts State Senator. He agreed to answer ten questions about the events covered in Next Year in the White House. Read the interview on The Book of Life blog.

LEARN MORE:

• Buy or borrow Next Year in the White House

• Websites of author Richard Michelson and illustrator E.B. Lewis

• Article in The Forward about the book

• Eric Lesser's Instagram

• A history of Passover celebrations in the White House

• Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights booklist (includes Next Year at the White House)

• Subscribe to The Book of Life's Substack newsletter