Hypersensitivity...

[Alex]

Out of curiosity (I really have no idea what the answer is), in Israel where Jews get to enjoy the dominant cultural power, what do they do in the way of public displays for Hannukah?

Do they do anything or is it only an issue here because someone feels left out?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Out of curiosity (I really have no idea what the answer is), in Israel where Jews get to enjoy the dominant cultural power, what do they do in the way of public displays for Hannukah?

Do they do anything or is it only an issue here because someone feels left out?

I would assume they do not do much. Hanukkah is a minor holiday only made large in America to compete with Christmas. It is not biblical - the events take place when the Romans were the dominant world power. It's Roman-controlled Syria that takes over Israel and eventually gets their asses handed to them by the Jews.

If they do have public displays/parties/TV specials then they would have to have at least 5 other such times of the year.

I'll ask my brother.

[Strangler Lewis]

I spent part of my afternoon lending de facto backup to the first and third grade Brownie troops who went caroling at the bin. During rehearsal at school, as the kids faded on Silent Night I implored them to speak up so that the Jewish guy wasn't the only voice heard on this gas.

Frankly, to get through Silent Night in a quasi-public forum, I do have to tell myself that I'm an actor playing a part. On the other hand, it is a beautiful song as many of the spiritual carols are. If I had to shyt can a song from the kids' repertoire, it would definitely be Holly Jolly Christmas. It's just bouncy piffle that's unsingable, especially for kids.

We then went back to school for a party and a laborious Secret Santa exchange. This would have been less torturous if I did not have to get home to start grating potatoes. Nobody seemed to know that it was the first night of Chanukah. I'm not especially put out by that, but I have gotten more than my share of "Oh, I have a friend who's Jewish" comments lately.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I spent part of my afternoon lending de facto backup to the first and third grade Brownie troops who went caroling at the bin.

The Girl Scouts are technically a Christian organization (though they let all faiths in) so I'm not surprised they went with Silent Night.

When I was a kid we sang all the Jesus songs in a Winter chorus thingy. My parents weren't happy about it but they didn't throw a fit. They explained to me our deal regarding Jesus and allowed me to continue singing, thank goodness. I didn't want to be the odd kid out, and I loved chorus.

The majority celebrates Christmas and there's no way anyone can deny that. If I decided to have a problem with it I'd be a very unhappy person. I do get frustrated by some aspects (mostly the Xmasization of Hanukkah) but I have learned to let it go. I do want to be included in parties and hand out my own gifts at the end of the year to remind others that I'm thinking of them. I understand fully that I'm manipulating labels of things in order to suit my own purposes, and that in the end I AM Xmas shopping. I live here, and I choose to participate in the fun aspects that have nothing to do with Jesus.

That said - I will never again participate in Secret Santas, no matter what. I always got supposedly secular things like angels and stars and green and red junk, the sad sack who picked me has a hell of a time shopping, and I sincerely don't want to buy actual Xmas junk for someone else, so it's in everyone's best interest if I just back the fvck out.

I say Merry Christmas to everyone that comes in to the library.

And that concludes my entire stance on being Jewish in December

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

The Girl Scouts are technically a Christian organization (though they let all faiths in) so I'm not surprised they went with Silent Night.

I don't think the Girl Scouts at the core are as Christian, hard-assed and God-centered as the Boy Scouts are. From what I know about the Boy Scouts, there's also a hard-assed Jew scout program. Indeed, my brief tenure in Cub Scouts was through my temple.

God in the Girl Scout promise has an asterisk. One of my friends spent a summer during college doing odd jobs at a Girl Scout camp. I don't know if he thought he'd be starring in his own porn flick, but he came back reporting that the counselors were mostly man-hating lesbians.

But it doesn't matter what the Girl Scouts believe or believed at their founding. If these women led the girls' knitting club and took them caroling, they would have included Silent Night (and Holly Jolly Christmas). It is just, as you say, an oblivious majority thing.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

The Girl Scouts are technically a Christian organization

Interesting - as a cub scout I was in a Jewish troop. We met weekly at Temple Beth Shalom on Tustin Avenue. With the friends I made there I learned about Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim, honoring and celebrating with them. I thought it was cool. Certainly much more fun than the Sunday School my sister dropped me off at - though I did meet Lizzibith's bother there for the very first time. He was similarly dumped there and we bonded poking holes in the coloring Jesus - talk about hypersensitive. At least my sister never did anything like that again.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I would assume they do not do much. Hanukkah is a minor holiday only made large in America to compete with Christmas. It is not biblical . . . .

Unless you're Catholic.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I'll ask my brother.

Originally Posted by my brother in an email

Yeah, Chanukah doesn’t warrant any real attention in Israel with the small exception here and there. In a building that shares a back wall with the western wall they have a torch like menorah that marks each day. In more Americanized parts of Jerusalem there are a few menorahs here and there. The other holidays are different than America. It seemed to me that in business fronts that had ways of showing and honoring the season were more for the owners benefit than those coming in to shop. Here, people need trees and decorations in local malls to feel "Christmassy". So the retailers know to put up decorations to draw crowds. In Israel there are sukkot* in the back of the store and what have you because the owner uses it on lunch breaks and will welcome other merchants. Rosh Ha Shanna does have nice sayings in the window that bless the crowds with a good year and a wish to be written in the book and what have you. Anyway thats my take.....

*Sukkot are huts built on a holiday also called Sukkot that represent the harvest in Israel. Every family is encouraged to build one and eat all their meals in it for a week. My family does this - we invite friends over, it's a good time.