Inside a White House Faith Office Briefing – and the Quiet Responsibility of Representing Torah Values where Policy and Faith Intersect
Linda Sadacka
Some of the most important conversations in Washington, D.C. never make the evening news.
They do not unfold beneath the bright lights of a presidential press conference or in the combative atmosphere of a Congressional hearing. Instead, they take place behind closed doors, where a small group of invited guests sits across from senior administration officials to discuss the ideas, priorities, and policies shaping the country long before they become headlines.
That was the purpose of a recent White House Faith Office briefing held inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the magnificent 19th-century landmark adjacent to the White House where many of the President’s senior advisors work. Approximately 25 invited guests, including faith leaders, nonprofit executives, writers, activists, and media personalities from across the country, gathered for an afternoon of policy briefings and discussion with senior members of the administration.
Strengthening American Society
The gathering reflected a broader initiative that has become an increasingly visible part of President Trump’s second administration. Established earlier this year, the White House Faith Office was created to strengthen partnerships between government and religious communities while advancing priorities that include protecting religious liberty, combating anti-Semitism, supporting Israel, expanding educational choice, defending parental rights, and working closely with faith-based organizations.
Throughout the afternoon, one message remained clear: the administration views faith communities as indispensable partners in American civic life.
The list of speakers reflected the importance the administration attached to the event. Border Czar Tom Homan opened the program, followed by Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism; Will Scharf, White House Staff Secretary; Jennifer Korn, Director of the White House Faith Office; Senior Advisor Paula White-Cain; Special Assistant to the President for Jewish Outreach Martin Marks; Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr; and White House videographer Isaac Arpon. Although each approached the afternoon from a different area of responsibility, together they presented a common vision of the role that faith communities can play in strengthening American society.
Before accepting the invitation, I made a phone call that had nothing to do with travel arrangements or security clearances. The briefing was scheduled only days before Tisha B’Av, and I wanted my rabbi’s guidance. Without hesitation, he encouraged me to attend and gave me a heartfelt berachah that I should create a kiddush Hashem (glorification of Gd’s Name).
While I certainly appreciated the blessing at the time, it was only later that I understood its full significance.
I was staying at The Jefferson Hotel, just minutes from the White House complex. The trip to the meeting should have been uneventful, but my Uber driver made a wrong turn, and what should have been a brief ride became an increasingly anxious journey through Washington traffic. With every passing minute, I grew more concerned. This was not simply another meeting on my calendar. It was an invitation from the White House, and I was about to arrive late.
Fortunately, I remained in contact with members of the White House Faith Office while I was en route. They assured me they were aware of the delay and would notify security of my arrival.
After my identification and credentials were verified, the Secret Service, with its characteristic professionalism and precision, escorted me into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
I quietly opened the door, hoping to slip into the room unnoticed.
Instead, a member of the White House staff smiled, directed me to a seat in the front row, and within moments I was opening my notebook as Tom Homan addressed the room.
For much of America, Homan is known simply as the administration’s Border Czar, a figure whose name has become synonymous with one of the nation’s most fiercely debated policy issues. The man standing before us that afternoon, however, was not delivering a campaign speech or defending administration policy before television cameras.
He was talking about children. He spoke about the victims of human trafficking and the responsibility he feels to protect them. Looking beyond his years in government, he reflected that even after leaving public office, he intends to continue searching for missing children because he believes that mission will never truly end. It was a deeply personal reminder that behind every policy debate are individual lives and families forever changed by tragedy.
As compelling as Tom Homan’s remarks were, they established a tone that would continue throughout the afternoon.
Personal Convictions
Each speaker addressed a different aspect of public service, yet an unmistakable thread connected them. Whether discussing national security, communications, Jewish outreach, or religious liberty, many spoke not only about the responsibilities of their office but also about the personal convictions that shaped how they approached their work.
Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council, reflected on the national security challenges confronting the United States and the weight of the responsibility borne by those entrusted with protecting the country. His remarks served as a reminder that decisions made inside the White House often carry consequences extending far beyond Washington.
The afternoon was not without lighter moments.
Will Scharf, the White House Staff Secretary, whose office oversees the legal review and processing of executive orders, memoranda, and other official actions before they reach the President’s desk, recalled a White House Hanukah celebration where he had been asked to light the menorah and recite the blessings in Hebrew. When he finished, President Trump smiled and remarked, “I knew you were Jewish. I just didn’t know you were that Jewish.”
The room erupted in laughter.
Moments later, the atmosphere shifted. Scharf shared a more personal story from earlier in his life when he had hesitated to identify openly as Jewish. Someone noticed and quietly told him, “You are the apple of Gd’s eye.”
Those words, he explained, stayed with him.
From that day forward, he resolved to never again hide or diminish his Jewish identity.
Jennifer Korn, Director of the White House Faith Office, described the office’s mission of building meaningful partnerships with faith communities and ensuring their voices remain part of the national conversation. Rather than viewing faith leaders merely as outside stakeholders, she spoke of cultivating ongoing relationships built on dialogue and mutual trust.
Martin Marks, Special Assistant to the President for Jewish Outreach, discussed the administration’s continuing engagement with Jewish organizations across the country and the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with Jewish communities on issues of shared concern.
Paula White-Cain, Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office and longtime spiritual advisor to President Trump, emphasized the unique role that houses of worship and faith-based organizations play in serving communities in ways government alone cannot. Kaelan Dorr, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director, offered a behind-the-scenes look at communicating presidential priorities in an era shaped by social media, 24-hour news cycles, and constant public scrutiny.
Faith as a Calling
Although each speaker focused on a different area of responsibility, a common theme emerged. Faith was not presented as something separate from public service. Rather, it was described as one of the principles that inform it.
As I listened, it struck me that although each speaker had arrived by a different path, many expressed a remarkably similar conviction. They spoke of public service not merely as a profession, but as a calling. Whether one shares that belief or not, it was impossible not to notice how naturally and consistently it surfaced throughout the afternoon.
During a brief break in the program, I stepped into the hallway. Jennifer Korn and Paula White-Cain had just concluded their portion of the briefing and were making their way toward the elevator. We found ourselves walking together, and what began as a chance encounter quickly became an engaging conversation.
Throughout the afternoon, one theme had continued to resonate with me. Speaker after speaker had spoken naturally about faith. Not as a political slogan or carefully crafted messaging, but as something that genuinely shaped the way they viewed their responsibilities and their service.
I shared a concern that has occupied my thoughts for some time. A society cannot exist in a moral vacuum. When faith is pushed to the margins and history is forgotten, something else inevitably fills the void. Throughout history, we have seen ideologies rush to replace the moral foundations that once held societies together. In my view, many of the divisions we see today are rooted in that process.
Jennifer listened thoughtfully as we continued down the hallway. Although our conversation lasted only a few minutes before we reached the elevator, I appreciated the opportunity to exchange ideas beyond the formal presentations.
Influence as Currency
When I returned to the briefing room, another thought lingered. Throughout the afternoon I had heard discussions about national security, religious liberty, communications, Jewish outreach, and public policy. Yet another realization slowly emerged. In today’s world, influence has become a form of currency. The people invited into rooms like this often become the voices that policymakers, journalists, and the broader public come to associate with the Jewish community. As I looked around the room, I realized there was no one else representing the Orthodox Torah community.
That realization gave new meaning to the berachah my rabbi had given me before I left for Washington. Only then did I fully understand what he meant when he blessed me to create a kiddush Hashem.
A kiddush Hashem is not always made from behind a podium. More often, it is created quietly, by showing up prepared, listening carefully, speaking thoughtfully, and allowing others to encounter Torah Judaism through the integrity with which we live it.
When I returned to the briefing room, the formal program had concluded. Small groups of attendees lingered, introducing themselves, exchanging ideas, and continuing conversations that had begun during the presentations. It was a reminder that some of the most valuable moments at gatherings like these happen after the official agenda has ended.
I found myself speaking with several administration officials about an issue that has become increasingly important to me. Public policy and public perception are not the same thing. An administration may accomplish a great deal, but if those accomplishments are not communicated clearly and consistently, many Americans will never know about them. In today’s media environment, governing and communicating have become inseparable. Good policy deserves good communication.
The Ordinary Moments
Eventually the conversations came to an end, and it was time to leave. Earlier that morning, my husband and I had started the day together before going our separate ways in Washington. He spent the day at a medical conference while I attended the White House Faith Office briefing. That evening, as we drove home, I thought about how differently we had spent our day, yet how similar our purpose had been. He had devoted the day to advancing his knowledge so he could better serve his young patients. I had spent mine listening, learning, and participating in conversations about faith, public policy, and the concerns of the Jewish community.
My thoughts returned once again to the berachah my rabbi had given me before I left. This time, however, I understood it differently.
Most of us will never be invited to a White House briefing. Most of us will never sit across the table from senior administration officials or have the opportunity to discuss issues affecting our community. But every one of us will find ourselves in rooms where people know little about Torah Judaism. A boardroom. A classroom. A doctor’s office. A business meeting. A neighborhood gathering. A conversation with a neighbor, a colleague, or a stranger. In those moments, whether we realize it or not, people are learning about Torah Judaism not from a book or a lecture, but from the person standing in front of them.
Perhaps that is what my rabbi understood all along.
A kiddush Hashem is rarely created in extraordinary moments. More often, it is created in ordinary ones. It is reflected in the way we speak, the way we listen, the respect we show others, and the integrity with which we conduct ourselves.
The White House briefing was a privilege. The greater privilege, however, is one that belongs to every one of us. Every day, Hashem places us in rooms where we have the opportunity to elevate His Name. The question is not whether those opportunities will come. The question is whether we will recognize them when they do.