The audience was a bit different, and it wasn't his birthday anymore, but on Thursday, for the second time this week, Judah Samet was on the receiving end of a round of "Happy Birthday."
This time, the rendition was performed by more than 100 high school students gathered in the school gymnasium at Quigley Catholic High School in Baden, moments after the 81-year-old Pittsburgh resident finished telling what it was like to live through the Holocaust.
Less than 48 hours earlier, with the entire country watching on Tuesday night, the song echoed from the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, as all of Congress chimed in to honor him on his actual birthday.
The House chamber sings “Happy Birthday” to Holocaust survivor and Tree of Life shooting survivor Judah Samet on his 81st birthday #SOTU https://t.co/qTH9WTJ5uM pic.twitter.com/vCBCnK85us
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 6, 2019
From the wings of the White House to the halls of Quigley in a matter of days, consider this another week in the extraordinary life of Mr. Samet.
In his presentation to students, Mr. Samet talked of surviving Nazi concentration camps and urged the importance of respecting everyone. He also narrowly missed the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue last year. Then President Donald Trump invited Mr. Samat to be a guest of honor at his State of the Union address -- an experience he explained in greater detail to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after the school speech Thursday.
Mr. Samet had never met a president before, but was excited about meeting this one. As a Republican, he described his wholehearted support for Mr. Trump, saying he made a sacrifice for the country in running for president.
"When somebody tells me he's not a good man, I say, 'You're right, he's righteous. Good is not enough. He's righteous in what he does,'" Mr. Samet said.
After he was invited to the State of the Union, he flew to D.C. with a few family members and found himself in the presence of all the administration officials he respects. He got to tell Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway that she is the "best voice for the Republican Party in this country," then told Ivanka Trump that as a Jewish convert, she receives preferential treatment from God.
Mr. Samet also talked with First Lady Melania Trump, who gave him a commemorative White House coin.
When he met the president, Mr. Samet said, he shook his hand and asked him if he could say a prayer to him that is only reserved for presidents. Mr. Trump obliged, and Mr. Samet recited the prayer -- which had the message, "Be strong and courageous." Mr. Trump shook his hand again.
From the podium during the second State of the Union address of his presidency, Mr. Trump turned his attention to Mr. Samet about halfway through, acknowledging the Tree of Life shooting and how the 81-year-old arrived late to the synagogue that day to find police exchanging gunfire with the shooter.
Mr. Trump said the country "must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed," and urged citizens to "confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs."
The president then recited a story about Mr. Samet from nearly 75 years ago when, after 10 months in a concentration camp, he and his family were put on a train and told they were going to another camp.
"Suddenly, the train screeched to a very strong halt," Mr. Trump said. "A soldier appeared. Judah's family braced for the absolute worst. Then, his father cried out with joy: 'It's the Americans. It’s the Americans.'"
After the president announced that it was Mr. Samet's 81st birthday, Mr. Samet blew a kiss and waved down to Mr. Trump while the crowd stood for an ovation. Then, the chamber broke out into "Happy Birthday" as the president briefly acted as a conductor.
"Thank you," yelled Mr. Samet from the rafters, to which the president smiled and said, "They wouldn't do that for me, Judah."
At that moment, "everybody got choked up," said Mr. Samet's nephew, Larry Barasch.
"That was incredible," Mr. Barasch said. "That was a moment in history."
The only regret Mr. Samet has, he said, is that he didn't yell down, "Thank you, Mr. President" -- a president whom he considers an ally.
"Donald Trump is the greatest president for Israel and for the Jewish people," Mr. Samet said.
Mr. Samet said his mother would be "very proud" of him. He spoke highly of her in his talk to the students, and said afterward that Hollywood should make a movie about her because she was a woman of "biblical proportions."
“Without my mother, we [would have been] doomed,” he told the students. “She was like an eagle spreading her wings, covering and protecting us. Although she was only 4 foot 10 inches, she stood 10 feet.”
Also in attendance as a White House guest at the State of the Union was Pittsburgh Police Officer Timothy Matson, who was shot seven times while responding to the Tree of Life attack.
"Timothy has just had his 12th surgery — but he made the trip to be here with us tonight," Mr. Trump said Tuesday. "Officer Matson, we are forever grateful for your courage in the face of evil.”
Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952 or Twitter @julianrouth.
First Published: February 7, 2019, 11:23 p.m.
