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elleng

(136,043 posts)
Sun Nov 21, 2021, 05:06 PM Nov 2021

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.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/politics/mezuzah-vice-president-home/index.html?

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Second family becomes first to affix a mezuzah on executive home. (Original Post) elleng Nov 2021 OP
Slanting the mezuzah is an Ashkenazi tradition Mosby Nov 2021 #1
Thanks. elleng Nov 2021 #2

Mosby

(17,453 posts)
1. Slanting the mezuzah is an Ashkenazi tradition
Sun Nov 21, 2021, 06:31 PM
Nov 2021

Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews mount it vertically.

I only know this because I live in a neighborhood with a ton of Jewish families, so at some point I looked it up.

Eta - in case anyone is interested, the important part of the mezuzah is not the case, its the klaf, which is a piece of parchment hand inscribed with Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21. The case can be anything, but often it has the letter "shin" on the outside, which represents one of Hashems names. On the back of the klaf there is the name שדי?, (shaddai) which is the same name for Hashem on the case.

2nd edit - Hashem is a Hebrew term for God. Literally, it means "the name."

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