RELEASE: Gottheimer Gives Remarks at Congressional Seder, Joins Bosnian Officials

Above: Congressman Gottheimer addresses Congressional Seder.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined colleagues, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, Bosnian diplomats, and staff from across Congress at a bipartisan Congressional Seder held ahead of Passover. The event was designed to be an educational and cultural experience, bringing together people of diverse backgrounds to reflect on the universal themes of Passover including: liberation, remembrance, moral responsibility, and defeating oppression.

The program, centered on the historic Sarajevo Haggadah, emphasized the importance of interfaith cooperation and preserving cultural heritage in times of conflict. The Sarajevo Haggadah, famously protected by Muslims during periods of violence and genocide, served as a powerful symbol of courage, unity, and the enduring responsibility to stand against hatred.

“As we gather ahead of Passover, we’re reminded that this is not just a Jewish story—it’s a human story about freedom, resilience, and our responsibility to stand up for one another. The Sarajevo Haggadah is a powerful symbol of that truth,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Across centuries of persecution and conflict, people of different faiths risked everything to protect it—not because it was theirs, but because it was worth protecting.”

Gottheimer continued, “In a world that too often feels divided, that lesson couldn’t be more urgent. We must stand shoulder to shoulder against hate and defend the dignity of every community. That’s not partisan, that’s who we are at our best.”

The event underscored a bipartisan commitment to promoting interfaith understanding and reaffirmed Congress’s role in championing tolerance, cooperation, and the protection of fundamental human rights.

Joining the Seder from the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina were Chairman of the Presidency Denis Bećirović, Foreign Affairs Minister Elmedin Konaković, Ambassador to US Sven Alkalaj, and UN Ambassador Dr. Zlatko Lagumdžija.

Below: Congressman Gottheimer greets President Denis Bećirović; Gottheimer gives remarks to Congressional Seder.

Gottheimer’s full remarks as prepared for delivery can be found here:

Good evening, everyone, thank you for being here — and thank you to President Bećirović as well as Bosnian Foreign Affairs Minister and Ambassadors to the United States and United Nations for joining us today. I was proud to be a part of the Clinton administration that brokered the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995 to end the bitter Bosnian War and established an enduring peace in the country. 

As we gather to acknowledge Passover next week, we reflect on a thousands-of-years-old story whose lessons are as urgent as ever. Passover is the story of God’s liberation of the Israelites from Egypt and their journey to the promised land. In their darkest moments of persecution, the Jewish people were sustained by their hope for a brighter future. It’s a story of freedom, resilience, hope, and our shared responsibility to stand up for one another when times are difficult

It’s not just a Jewish story. It’s a human story.

That’s why the Sarajevo Haggadah we have here with us tonight is so powerful.

This historic seder book survived the Spanish Inquisition, brought to Italy by Sephardic Jews fleeing persecution in the 14th century. Centuries later, it survived the Holocaust because Muslim and Christian neighbors courageously hid it. And decades later, during the Bosnian War, it was protected again — amid siege and violence — by people who understood that preserving this sacred history is an act of shared humanity.

In moments when institutions failed and governments collapsed, against all odds, neighbors stepped up to protect something that wasn’t theirs. Because, despite their religious differences, it was worth protecting.

That’s the lesson.

In a world that far too often feels divided—politically, culturally, religiously—this Haggadah is a symbol of our shared humanity and dreams for a brighter future. 

In our hardest moments, we can’t retreat into our differences—we must rise above them.

Today, with surging antisemitism and intolerance across the globe, that message matters more than ever.

That’s not partisan. That’s not ideological. That’s just American. 

That’s who we are at our best.

So when many of you sit down for your Seder next week, I hope you recommit yourself to moral courage, to standing shoulder to shoulder with neighbors of every faith, and to standing up against hate and persecution, in all its forms.  

That’s the spirit of Passover. And that’s the story the Sarajevo Haggadah calls on all of us to carry forward.

Thank you. 

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