World
White House Passover
Obama's seder reprises last year's.
Eric Fingerhut
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Washington
W
hen the first night of Passover
last year fell just three days
before the Pennsylvania
Democratic primary, a group of Obama
staffers held an impromptu seder in the
basement of a Harrisburg hotel.
Then-candidate Barack Obama attend-
ed, and after the traditional "Next Year in
Jerusalem," he and others added, "Next
Year in the White House!"
That's exactly what the president did
last week when he held what is believed to
have been the first-ever seder in the White
House. For Obama, it was the continuation
of last year's tradition, with the president
inviting everyone who attended the cam-
paign-trail seder to the White House seder
on April 9, the second night of Passover.
A White House spokesman said the
20-person group used Maxwell House
Haggadahs and dined on a menu that
included matzah ball soup, brisket, roasted
chicken, noodle kugel and macaroons.
Recipes were provided to the White House
President Obama hosts a Passover seder at the White House on April 9.
cooks by attendees.
The White House kitchen was not techni-
cally kashered for Passover; the spokesman
said the meal was served "kosher style!'
(The White House kitchen was made
kosher during the Bush administration for
Chanukah parties, the first time in 2006).
Word first surfaced on April 7 that
Obama would be hosting a White House
seder after the event appeared on the
president's schedule without details.
Apparently the disclosure caused a clamor
among some Jewish Obama supporters
who were upset that they weren't on the
guest list, prompting one White House
aide to ask that it be deleted from the
schedule.
Jewish supporters "here and in neigh-
boring states are now calling,wondering
why they have not been invited;' the aide
wrote in an e-mail that was inadvertently
attached to a copy of the president's
schedule that was sent to reporters on
April 9.
Eric Lesser, the campaign staffer who
put together the 2008 event and the
special assistant to White House senior
adviser David Axelrod, organized the
seder. In addition to the first family,
attendees included Obama senior adviser
Valerie Jarrett; Obama family friend Eric
Whitaker; White House videographer
Arun Chaudhary; White House associate
counsel Susan Sher, who also does liaison
work with the Jewish community; vice
presidential aide Herbie Ziskend; Lisa
Kohnke, the deputy director of advance
and special events at the Office of Public
Liaison; White House associate social sec-
retary Samantha Tubman; the first lady's
deputy chief of staff, Melissa Winter; and
Reggie Love and Dana Lewis, personal
aides to the president and first lady.
❑
Jet-Setting
Two area CPAs make a whirlwind business trip to Israel.
Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor
F
lying 12,000 miles in 41/2 days is
dizzying. For two certified public
accountants to do it in the middle
of tax season might seem crazy.
Yet, Ronald Silberstein and Joel Ungar
made the trip at the end of March to work
with an Israeli accounting firm. During
their 60 hours in Israel, they had time for
three hours of sightseeing.
It was Ungar's first visit to Israel in 30
years; it was Silberstein's first visit.
The two are principals at Maddox,
Ungar and Silberstein PLLC in Bingham
Farms, a CPA firm that specializes in help-
ing publicly traded companies with rev-
enues up to $200 million. The Israeli firm
contacted them through MSI, an interna-
tional organization of CPAs and attorneys.
A40
April 16 2009
Maddox, Ungar and Silberstein is four
years old and specializes in auditing pub-
licly traded companies. With five CPAs, one
MBA and several other staffers, the firm
has carved out a niche. It has approximately
200 business clients, including publicly
traded, privately held and franchise com-
panies.
The firm has become one of the top
30 in the U.S. in its field, said Silberstein.
"This type of work requires a lot of spe-
cific expertise that most small accounting
firms stay away from:' he said. The firm
has been growing at the rate of one new
client per week.
The Israeli firm has several Israeli
clients that are publicly traded in the
United States. With the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission tightening controls,
the Israeli firm sought guidance here.
"We didn't want to go to Israel to do an
audit:' Silberstein said, "so we viewed
much of the case via e-mail and fax.
But in the end, it became apparent
that face-to-face contact would be
helpful."
In their 31/2 days in Israel, the
two West Bloomfield residents went
through the CPA's files, interviewed
staff about quality controls and con-
ducted finish testing.
"It will be ongoing work:'
Ronald Silberstein and Joel Ungar
Silbesrstein said. "But the Israeli
firm had no issues. We were pretty
impressed."
ed tour of the city. They had time for one
Ungar said there are quite a few differenc- hour of sleep before boarding a 5:30 a.m.
es between U.S. and international account-
flight to return home.
ing rules, and "we made sure the staff was
Silberstein is somewhat used to that
licensed and up to date on U.S. rules!'
routine: He flew 100,000 miles on business
Following the work in the Israeli
last year. Ungar is more used to being in
CPAs Jerusalem office, the two Michigan
the office, but he didn't mind a whirlwind
accountants were given a three-hour guid- trip to Israel. ❑