*Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2010 *

**The President's Weekly Address **

*April 3, 2010 *

This is a week of faithful celebration. On Monday and Tuesday nights, Jewish families and friends in the United States and around the world gathered for a Seder to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and the triumph of hope and perseverance over injustice and oppression. On Sunday, my family will join other Christians all over the world in marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And while we worship in different ways, we also remember the shared spirit of humanity that inhabits us all, Jews and Christians, Muslims and Hindus, believers and nonbelievers alike.

Amid the storm of public debate, with our 24/7 news cycle, in a town like Washington that's consumed with the day to day, it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the eternal. So on this Easter weekend, let us hold fast to those aspirations we hold in common as brothers and sisters, as members of the same family, the family of man.

All of us know how important work is, not just for the paycheck, but for the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can provide for your family. As Americans and as human beings, we seek not only the security, but the sense of dignity, the sense of community, that work confers. That's why it was heartening news that last month, for the first time in more than 2 years, our economy created a substantial number of jobs, instead of losing them. We've begun to reverse the devastating slide, but we have a long way to go to repair the damage from this recession, and that will continue to be my focus every single day.

All of us value our health and the health of our loved ones. All of us have experienced an illness, a loss, or personal tragedy. All of us know that no matter what we're doing or what else is going on in our lives, if the health of someone we love is endangered, nothing else matters. Our health is the rock upon which our lives are built, for better and for worse.

All of us value education. We know that in an economy as competitive as ours, an education is a prerequisite for success. But we also know that ultimately education is about something more, something greater. It's about the ability that lies within each of us to rise above any barrier, no matter how high, to pursue any dream, no matter how big, to fulfill our God-given potential.

All of us are striving to make a way in this world, to build a purposeful and fulfilling life in the fleeting time we have here. A dignified life, a healthy life, a life true to its potential, and a life that serves others, these are aspirations that stretch back through the ages, aspirations at the heart of Judaism, at the heart of Christianity, at the heart of all of the world's great religions.

The rites of Passover and the traditions of Easter have been marked by people in every corner of the planet for thousands of years. They've been marked in times of peace, in times of upheaval, and in times of war.

One such war-time service was held on the black sands of Iwo Jima more than 60 years ago. There, in the wake of some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, a chaplain rose to deliver an Easter sermon, consecrating the memory, he said "of American dead, Catholic, Protestant, Jew. Together," he said, "they huddled in foxholes or crouched in the bloody sands. . . Together they practiced virtue, patriotism, love of country, love of you and me." The chaplain continued, "The heritage they have left, the vision of a new world, was made possible by the common bond that united them . . . their only hope that this unity will endure"—their only hope that this unity will endure.

On this weekend, as Easter begins and Passover comes to a close, let us remain ever mindful of the unity of purpose, the common bond, the love of you and of me, for which they sacrificed all they had and for which so many others have sacrificed so much. Let us make its pursuit and fulfillment our highest aspiration, as individuals and as a nation. Happy Easter and happy Passover to all those celebrating here in America and around the world.

NOTE: The address was recorded at approximately 3:25 p.m. on April 2 in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House for broadcast on April 3. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on April 2 but was embargoed for release until 6 a.m. on April 3. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.

*Categories:* Addresses and Remarks : Weekly addresses.

*Locations:* Washington, DC.

*Subjects:* Easter; Economy, national : Recession, effects; Employment and unemployment : Job creation and growth; Passover.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201000230.