To some, he’s the president. To others, he’s something else.
President Barack Obama is many things. Country leader, father, son, husband, future grandfather and great-grandfather, among other important roles. Everyone knows very personal details of his life. For example, the country of his presidency.
A lesser-known fact about President Obama, however, is that he spent four happy undergraduate years here at our very own Yeshiva University (a little detail he tries to keep on the DL). The Observer feels honored to have been able to sit down with President Barack (formerly Baruch) Obama and talk with him about his experience as a young bochur at YU.
Observer:
Let’s just get to the most important question here first. How did you meet your wife, Michelle? Obviously you must have met her during your time at YU.
President
Barack
Obama:
Ahh, I remember my days at YU fondly, yes. Well, Michelle and I met at our Welcome Sophomores Back to America BBQ up in the Heights after my Chatzi Shana Bet. I had grabbed myself six franks and some ‘slaw. I was looking for the ketchup when I tripped over the strings of my very long tzitzit and slammed my plate into her face. Needless to say, it was very embarrassing. But Michelle was so nice about it and just smiled at me and wiped off mayonnaise from her skirt. I wanted to ask her out because something about the way she wiped up the mess caught my eye, but decided I couldn’t at that time, since I had to check with my rabbi first.
Two weeks later, I got on the 1:30 am shidduch shuttle and let me tell you, I was drunk as heck, like totally wasted with every other guy on that shuttle; and there she was again! Feeling confident as ever I sat down next to her even though there were 10 other empty seats, but was still hoping I wasn’t being too obvious. When she called out “35th street please!” I knew she was the one. I messaged her later on AIM that night and the rest is history.
O:
Wow, that’s inspiring. Mazal tov! Aside from dating, what other extracurricular activites were you involved with during your time at YU?
BO:
Well, after I started dating Michelle, I dropped basically every other activity I had been participating in. But for a little while, I was actually vice-president of the Sephardi Club on campus. Yes, it’s true. I know on the outside I look completely Ashkenazi but I’m 100% Sephardi and I have spent many happy years eating rice over the Passover holiday with my family.
I was also a member of the “Is He Foreign or Just Hawaiian?” Club but that fizzled out after my freshman year (I was the only member, and I didn’t even know the answer to that myself). Other than that I randomly wrote articles for the Beacon (that piece about the Stern girl at the hotel with her boyfriend was actually by me) and then also submitted articles to the Observer under the pseudonym Chaya Rachel Schwartz.
O:
So how did you get involved with politics?
BO:
I actually began my time at YU as a Judaic Studies major. I spent a lot of time in the beis with my chavruta, but I forgot his name. I was a promising student and my peers nicknamed me the Obamer Rebbe. But after hearing one of the very inspiring members of the Israeli Knesset that YU brought in every other week, I decided I wanted to do something else with my arguing and analytical skills, and so I decided to become President of the United States.
O:
Wow, that sounds great. Do you have any last words of advice for current students at YU?
BO:
I would say just really enjoy your time at Yeshiva University. I coined a phrase during my time at YU, though I don’t know if anyone uses it anymore: there is nowhere but here. Except for the White House, it holds true that there simply is nowhere but here, and the mix of Torah U’Mada still inspires me today.
The relationships with peers and teachers that you form will last forever and ever and ever and help turn you into a wonderful individual. (Except for my own personal case, however, because I am in touch with no one from my time at YU.) Boys—take advantage of that amazing swimming pool you have uptown, and girls—keep fighting for your women’s hours that you will never get.
Yes We Can. Thank you. G-d bless you, G-d bless Yeshiva University, and G-d bless America.