The White House held a virtual Passover celebration that was full of firsts

• The White House on Thursday held its first virtual Passover seder ahead of the Jewish holiday.
• It was led by Doug Emhoff, who's the first Jewish spouse in a presidential administration.
• Emhoff, Kamala Harris, and the Bidens offered wishes for in-person celebrations next year.

The White House held its first virtual seder, a ceremonial dinner held on the Jewish holiday Passover, which begins Saturday at sundown.

While there have been other White House seders in the past, this year's was especially significant because it was hosted by second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who's Jewish.

It was also the first White House Passover seder to be open to the public, according to The Forward.

During the event, which was live-streamed on Thursday - ahead of the start of the holiday - Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris' husband, recognized his historic role in the administration.

"I'm excited to join you as the first-ever second gentleman, married to the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States, and as the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president," Emhoff said during the event, per CNN.

Emhoff spoke about celebrating Passover as a child, which he said often involved attending seder at his grandmother's home in Brooklyn.

"Now, of course, it's exactly what you're picturing. That apartment. The plastic covering on the sofa. The smell of brisket wafting in from the kitchen," Emhoff said. "And me, sitting there at the table, patiently waiting, just waiting, to dig into that delightfully gelatinous gefilte fish, which inexplicably I still love today."

Harris joined Emhoff in making remarks on the holiday, offering hope that people can gather "next year in person."

"Our family, like so many families in the United States, in the State of Israel and around the world, will begin to celebrate the sacred holiday of Passover this weekend," Harris said. "The story of Passover is powerful. It reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of injustice. It urges us to keep the faith in the face of uncertainty."

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden also shared a Passover message that was played during the virtual seder.

"As Jewish families across the country and around the world mark this important tradition, we know you're all setting the seder table with heavy hearts, but also with hope for the year ahead," the president said.

The first lady spoke about the story of Passover, saying: "This celebration is Jewish, but its message is universal."

A White House official told The Forward's Jacob Kornbluh that the Biden administration wanted the seder event to be "at least one thing to bring people together," as many of those celebrating the holiday are, like in 2020, not doing so in a traditional way - or are without extended family or friends.

There have been White House seders in the past, but none with the reach of the virtual celebration held on Thursday, which had at least 34,000 viewers, an administration official told CNN.

According to CNN, the Obama administration held an annual invite-only Passover seder, and when Donald Trump was president, his administration held a private seder in 2017.