By Mark D. Zimmerman
MELVILLE, New York — President Trump ordered the tearing down of the East Wing of the White House in preparation for the building of a 90,000 square foot ballroom. Advocates state that the facility is needed as large state dinners are currently held in an outdoor space under a tent. Critics note that the expansion of the White House was done with minimal planning and consultation, with disregard for the historic space that has been demolished.
Israel’s early presidents lived in their own housing until 1971, when President Zalman Shazar inaugurated a new facility known as Beit HaNassi, Hebrew for House of the President. Besides being the residence of the President, Beit HaNassi is known for its artwork, including the Wall of Praise to Jerusalem by Moshe Castel, stained glass windows by Reuben Rubin, and a painted 63-panel ceiling by artist Naftali Bezem in the building’s reception hall.
Beit HaNassi underwent its own renovation in 2011 under the impetus of then-president Shimon Peres. Among the changes he made to his residence were removal of columns in the reception room which blocked views of attendees, improving the outdoor patio used for cocktail receptions, and an upgrading of the kitchen (which was described as “Ben-Gurion spartan with formica surfaces”). What are visiting world leaders asked to do when they pay a visit to Beit HaNassi?
A. They are asked to participate in a service in the garden of the house as a memorial to Israel’s fallen soldiers.
B. They are asked to sign their name on the Kotel shel Shalom HaOlam, the Wall for World Peace, which includes a stained glass window designed by Marc Chagall.
C. Pope Benedict XVI planted an olive tree in Beit HaNassi’s peace garden upon the request of President Shimon Peres, and subsequent world leaders have continued this tradition.
D. They are asked to put a token donation into the residence’s Tzedakah Box (designed by artist Yaacov Agam) with pictures of this donation used to promote charitable fundraising in the visiting leader’s home country.
E. They are asked to purchase a bitcoin with a picture of the current president on the e-currency.
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Link to answer: https://rrrjewishtrivia.com/presidential-residences-answer.html
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Mark D. Zimmerman is an author and freelance writer based in Melville, New York..