The Feast of Joy

Even for White House Chef Henry Haller, preparing a sit-down dinner for 1,340 people who were dropping by on short notice was a bit of a challenge. The 1,100 Ibs. of strip sirloin had to be cooked at the Mayflower Hotel, six blocks away because the Executive Mansion did not have enough oven space. One other problem was that 110 of the meals had to be kosher. Schleiders Caterers of Baltimore did not get the call until Saturday, but they were able to prepare kosher meals similar to the regular fare that would be served on the big night, using margarine instead of butter for the rolls and nondairy cream substitute in the chocolate mousse.

Food warmers and refrigerator trucks were borrowed from the military, and so were two old but serviceable Sears, Roebuck fishing boats that were used to chill the white wine and champagne. Washington's Ridgewells Caterer provided gold ballroom chairs, creamcolored china with gold borders, cutlery, glasses, fingerbowls and napkins. The main tent, gay as springtime with its tangerine and yellow stripes, was longer than the White House itself. It and six smaller tents were rented for about $12,000 from a Maryland company.

The largest dinner in White House history was also a once-in-a-lifetime test for White House Social Secretary Gretchen Poston. Presidential aides had worked up a guest list that included, in addition to the Egyptian and Israeli delegations, past or potential political supporters of Jimmy Carter (politics is never far from the mind of a White House aide), Arab and Jewish leaders in the U.S., business and labor moguls, congressional leaders and members of the press corps. Poston stayed up all night Sunday working out the seating arrangements at the 134 tables. Secretaries were frantically typing the 15-page guest list until 6 p.m., barely an hour before the first arrivals were due at the east entrance of the White House.

S.L. Kling, president of Landmark Bancshares of Missouri, who used to work with U.S. Trade Negotiator Robert Strauss, helped raise money for the gala. Acting on White House authority, he persuaded at least 13 companies and banks (including Xerox, Bank of America and Chase Manhattan Bank) to ante up 5,000 tax-deductible dollars apiece. The White House did not say how much it raised for the dinner, which cost more than $80,000. Anything extra would come out of the State Department's entertainment budget. When questions were raised about the propriety of soliciting private cash, the White House pointed out that previous Presidents had raised money for special purposes, such as furniture or swimming pools.

No one could argue that the money was not well spent: the party was as joyous as the occasion. Reports TIME White House Correspondent Christopher Ogden: "None of the warmth or festiveness was lost in the cavernous, 45-ft.-high tent, which somehow, perhaps because of the informal table hopping, seemed almost cozy. The candelabra on the tent poles created a romantic mood, almost like that of a college prom. It was comfortable, pleasant and fun, but not ostentatious."

The President wandered from table to table, chatting happily like a host who knows his party is a success. "This is one of those evenings that it has been hard to stay seated," he said. "I've been so excited." After the toasts, Begin and Sadat left the stage with arms around each other like vaudeville hoofers.

Soprano Leontyne Price brought a hush to the crowd with Verdi's Pace, Pace, Mio Dio, and then the guests began to file slowly out of the tent. Like a contented preacher, White House Aide Hamilton Jordan stood at the exit, shaking hands and clasping shoulders. "Begin for President," he said, and the Israeli Premier embraced him. Inside the White House, where there was champagne and dancing, the Marine Band was playing Cole Porter's Well, Did You Evah! which ends with the line "What a swell party this is."

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