Let me be perfectly honest. Somewhere there is a photograph of your rabbi
sitting on Santa’s knee. I don’t think
it will go viral on the internet… well, I hope it won’t. I was three years old and Santa was holding
court at Bamberger’s Department Store in Plainfield, New Jersey. I believe this
was the only “concession” to Christmas that my parents ever made. But I certainly experienced the excitement of
the season. There was ice-skating at
Rockefeller Center, warm chestnuts from street vendors, a walk down 5th
Avenue to see the beautiful displays in the store windows and finally, the
Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall.
In public school, I was exposed to
the great and not so great music of the season, both religious and
secular. And while not ALL Christmas
songs are written by Jews, there IS a time honored tradition. Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas”, Johnny
Marks penned “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer”, Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote
the words and music to “Let it Snow, Let it Snow” and “Silver Bells” came from
the writing team of Jay Livingston (Jacob Harold Levison) and Ray Evans Rayment
(Raymond Bernard Evans).
When someone wishes me “happy
holidays” or “Merry Christmas” I appreciate that because of this season of
fellowship, someone has taken the time to offer me a greeting and connect for
just a moment. We live in a diverse, democratic country, and receiving the
warmth and friendliness that the season brings doesn’t impact my Jewish
Identity.
As early as I can remember, my
parents reinforced the idea that there is nothing wrong with enjoying the
beauty of someone else’s celebration. (Just as you learn at a young age when
you’re attend someone’s birthday party, you enjoy being there but it isn’t YOUR
birthday and those aren’t YOUR presents, and no, you can’t blow out the candles
on the cake.)
The Jewish calendar is filled, almost
on a monthly basis with holidays and festivals, but they aren’t on TV and we
don’t get bombarded with store catalogues for Sukkot, Purim or Tu B’shevat
deals! However, our lives, and the lives
of our children and grandchildren are greatly enriched by making time
throughout the year to honor our own traditions.
This year, as is our custom on
Christmas Eve (or as we call it, “erev yomtov”), Gary and I will visit with
dear friends. I will make and bring the “traditional” NOODLE KUGEL for the
buffet table, and we will gather by the fire, Jews and Gentiles, each with a
copy of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
We will read and discuss the entire tale, a story rich in Jewish values,
especially those of Teshuva, and Tzedahkah.
So, ultimately, it all comes down to
this -- You can best honor your friends, relatives and neighbors of the
Christian faith by acknowledging that the holiday holds a deep, spiritual
meaning for them, a meaning that you, as a Jew, do not share. And so, this holiday season, appreciate all
it has to offer, but remember to not appropriate it.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rose
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