President Obama and First Lady Michelle watch as Ethan and Esther Moran, along with their mother Alison Buckholtz light a menorah on the sixth night of Hanukkah. The menorah--which survived the Nazi destruction-- is on loan from the Jewish Museum in Prague. (Mrs. Obama visited the museum earlier this year.) Ethan and Esther's father Scott is a Commander in the U.S. Navy stationed in Iraq. (White House photo)

WASHINGTON--President Obama, First Lady Michelle and Vice President Biden celebrated Hanukkah with the lighting of candles on the sixth night of the festival at a 550-person White House party that included what one attendee was a "big Chicago presence." My report on the koshering of the White House kitchen for the party here

Among the Chicagoans at the Obama Hanukkah party:

Marcia Balonick
Michael Bauer and Roger Simon
Joan and Bill Brodsky
Lester Crown
Judy Gaynor
Paul Gaynor
Barbara Gold
Judy Gold
Joseph Gutman
Bruce and Vicki Heyman
Illinois State Senator Jeff and Lynne Schoenberg
Linda Sher
Susie and David Sherman
Andrea and Alan Solow
David Solow

Chicagoans Howard Learner and Lauren Rosenthal attended another Obama holiday party on Tuesday.