WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama said Education and Sharing Day marked the legacy of hope for a "brighter future" of the late Lubavitcher rebbe, who launched the initiative.
"On Education and Sharing Day USA, we celebrate the example set by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher rebbe, who dedicated his life to improving education and fostering good will for all people," Obama said in a statement proclaiming April 15 as the 33rd commemoration of the event instituted by Schneerson in 1978. "His legacy continues to inspire individuals to carry forward his effort to build a brighter future. Each year, Education and Sharing Day USA reminds us of our obligation to create opportunities for a better tomorrow — life lessons we pass on to all our children."
Schneerson was an early advocate of a Department of Education separate from the former Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
