    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 13 (Monday, April 5, 1999)]
    [Pages 537-538]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Message on the Observance of Passover, 1999

    March 30, 1999

        Warm greetings to all those observing Passover.
        This sacred holiday commemorates God's liberation of the Israelites
    from slavery and the beginning of the Jewish people's exodus from Egypt
    to the Promised Land. Their

    [[Page 538]]

    journey through the desert was long and difficult, but they were guided
    by the light of their faith and sustained by their dream of liberty.
    When at last they arrived in the Promised Land, they rejoiced in their
    freedom to worship God, to rebuild their communities, and to raise their
    children in the traditions and beliefs of the Jewish religion.
        As a people who have always cherished the values of faith and
    freedom, all Americans can draw inspiration from the story of Passover.
    It reminds us of our ongoing journey to build our own Promised Land,
    where all people are free to worship according to their conscience and
    where our children can grow up safe from the shadows of intolerance and
    oppression.
        As families across the nation and around the world gather to
    remember the liberation of the Israelites and to teach a new generation
    the ancient tradition of the Passover Seder and the reading of the
    Haggadah, let us all give thanks for God's sustaining love and for the
    Jewish heritage that has so strengthened and enriched our national life.
        Hillary joins me in extending best wishes for a joyous Passover
    celebration.
                                                      Bill Clinton