Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

jorgelito · 12-11-2006, 06:14 PM

I am very familiar with Hannukah. It is very much a minor holiday compared to the big three otherwise it would be the big four.

I was more surprised at the rabbi's insistence that the Menorah is now a universal symbol as opposed to an exclusive Jews only thing.

How one interprets symbols is one thing so obviously Christians will continue to observe Christmas as a Christian holiday. But it is no means exclusively Christian. That is the point. No one gets all bent over Halloween, another religious holiday (Wiccan?) at least not as much as Christmas. And what about St. Patrick's Day? Will the good rabbi now insist that the City of Chicago stop dyeing the river green or holding parades because it's a Christian holiday or will he sue to ask that some Jewish equivalent be given equal time?

I would agree with you if it was a nativity scene which is clearly religious. But a tree or Santa is the secular icon of Christmas. Similarly, another major Christian holiday, Easter, is also secularized. Think bunnies and eggs. An easter bunny display should hardly draw criticism from the anti-religious or hyper-sensitive non-Christian crowd. But a cross, then sure yeah of course.

The marketers were smart when hyping the holidays. To maximize their profits, they found a way to secularize the holidays and make them accessible to non-Christians etc.

My Jewish friends ALL celebrate Christmas. Which means we give gifts and wear Santa hats and get drunk. We don't pray or go to mass or read the bible together. We do put up lights and poinsettias but do not put up nativity scenes.

Hannukah on the other hand, has never been open to others in the same way Christmas or Easter has. That's why the rabbi's explanation is rather weak and lame.

If it was really that big of a deal to him, then he should have asked nicely and offered to pay for the display. Not threaten to sue.

I can remember big menorah displays in my community all the time. NO one ever threatened to sue. Some local group, quietly sought permission, and paid for it themselves. And it adds a nice touch to our community. The blue and white lights look nice and complement the red and green.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, sometimes we all get carried away and make a mountain out of a molehill. In this case, the rabbi definitely screwed up.

12-11-2006, 06:14 PM	#23 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	I am very familiar with Hannukah. It is very much a minor holiday compared to the big three otherwise it would be the big four. I was more surprised at the rabbi's insistence that the Menorah is now a universal symbol as opposed to an exclusive Jews only thing. How one interprets symbols is one thing so obviously Christians will continue to observe Christmas as a Christian holiday. But it is no means exclusively Christian. That is the point. No one gets all bent over Halloween, another religious holiday (Wiccan?) at least not as much as Christmas. And what about St. Patrick's Day? Will the good rabbi now insist that the City of Chicago stop dyeing the river green or holding parades because it's a Christian holiday or will he sue to ask that some Jewish equivalent be given equal time? I would agree with you if it was a nativity scene which is clearly religious. But a tree or Santa is the secular icon of Christmas. Similarly, another major Christian holiday, Easter, is also secularized. Think bunnies and eggs. An easter bunny display should hardly draw criticism from the anti-religious or hyper-sensitive non-Christian crowd. But a cross, then sure yeah of course. The marketers were smart when hyping the holidays. To maximize their profits, they found a way to secularize the holidays and make them accessible to non-Christians etc. My Jewish friends ALL celebrate Christmas. Which means we give gifts and wear Santa hats and get drunk. We don't pray or go to mass or read the bible together. We do put up lights and poinsettias but do not put up nativity scenes. Hannukah on the other hand, has never been open to others in the same way Christmas or Easter has. That's why the rabbi's explanation is rather weak and lame. If it was really that big of a deal to him, then he should have asked nicely and offered to pay for the display. Not threaten to sue. I can remember big menorah displays in my community all the time. NO one ever threatened to sue. Some local group, quietly sought permission, and paid for it themselves. And it adds a nice touch to our community. The blue and white lights look nice and complement the red and green. I guess what I'm trying to say is, sometimes we all get carried away and make a mountain out of a molehill. In this case, the rabbi definitely screwed up.