tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350663471360337682.post7457857004705770757..comments2023-09-19T04:14:20.410-04:00Comments on Adventures By Aaron: The Year Without A Santa ClausAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02560135447631596048noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350663471360337682.post-63574104289762082872011-01-04T01:54:07.757-05:002011-01-04T01:54:07.757-05:00Dear Aaron,
I enjoyed reading your measured respo...Dear Aaron,<br /><br />I enjoyed reading your measured response to Anonymous' comment.<br /><br />As a Jew (granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, great-granddaughter of pilgrims from Russia in the 20s, etc etc), I've grown accustomed to being a (white, middle-class, educated) minority. Most of my friends, from elementary school on, are, at least nominally, Christians of some denomination.<br /><br />While I agree that I would not invite non-Jews to high holy day services (out of respect for the more conservative members of my congregation as well as because Yom Kippur is kind of intense), I was also happy to bring a friend to Purim. He had a great time, and exchanged emails with the woman who was teaching folk dances (he's a dancer).<br /><br />Ultimately, here's what I (and my family) do: We accept that we live in a country that is, by-and-large, Christian. We don't celebrate Christmas in any way, including Chanukah Bushes (I love the lights of Christmas/winter holidays, but never understood the desire to kill a tree). I give my friends Chanukah presents, and gladly accept their Christmas gifts.<br /><br />Instead of celebrating Christmas or wishing we could be at work, we do useful/practical things around the house like painting a room or gardening or fixing up other odds and ends. We take the dogs to the beach, we read, we catch up on our sleep debt.<br /><br />Who cares if you do something 'wrong'? Life is short; do what makes you happy. <br /><br />(Of course, all that being said, the one real fight I had with my (non-Jewish) ex boyfriend was about Christmas. He insisted that it was not a Christian holiday. I maintain that you don't have to be Christian to celebrate it, but it is indeed a Christian holiday, and the moment you can call a religious holiday "secular" is the moment you can mandate religion, a paranoia I carry, perhaps because of my 'minority' status).<br /><br />And thanks for writing about your experiences with the FS and in Mexico :)Other Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350663471360337682.post-20680333101804056492010-12-29T19:27:14.921-05:002010-12-29T19:27:14.921-05:00Jamie - Thank you so much for the kind words (espe...Jamie - Thank you so much for the kind words (especially in your P.S.!). I agree, celebrating with friends and loved ones, strengthening those relationships, is very important. I don't think anyone's spiritual identity is shaken by enjoying the company of those you care about as they celebrate events that are important to them...as long as you hold true to yourself.<br /><br />Anon - Good catch on the Jewish New Year. I have corrected my original post. That's what I get for posting without proofreading! <br /><br />Based on your comment, I assume you are approaching this matter from an Orthodox or Conservative perspective. <br /><br />As a Reform convert, I have found it common that people (including Rabbis) will spend the 24th of December breaking bread with their Christian friends. Synagogues conduct toy drives so that underprivileged Christian children can have a happy holiday. Seder holders invite everyone that is willing to participate, Jewish, Christian, or otherwise, to share in the joy of a delicious Jewish meal and learn the story of Passover. <br /><br />You are right in saying that I will never know the pain of having an ancestor lost to the Holocaust or pogroms. And yet, as a Jew that is trying to live a cultural AND religious lifestyle, I already understand that some will question my Jewishness because of my sexual orientation, genealogy, and method of conversion. <br /><br />Longtime readers will know that I approach every post with humor and sentimentality. But let's be frank.<br /><br />In my opinion, how to embrace God is left to the individual. Your relationship with God is yours and yours alone. Personally speaking, Reform Judaism really speaks to me in its approach to God and the relationships we build with others because of, and perhaps in spite of, that approach. Every religion has leaders (and followers) that will tell you what they think is right or wrong, but the fact remains that these choices are left to the individual. Nobody knows the true nature of god, or religion, nor can they ever. Religion is but a template for how you choose to live your life. You choose the one that helps you be the best person you can be. And if a Jew wants to have a Chanukah bush or invite a non-Jew to a seder, that does not make him a Christian, a bad Jew, or a bad person. If a Christian chooses to attend a Shabbat dinner at a friend's house, or acknowledge the Festival of Lights, that doesn't make him a Jew, a bad Christian, or a bad person. <br /><br />The only thing that makes us bad Christians, Jews, or people are our actions towards others.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02560135447631596048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350663471360337682.post-54025978952381252822010-12-28T13:50:18.151-05:002010-12-28T13:50:18.151-05:00The article you posted helps to explain how it fee...The article you posted helps to explain how it feels being an American Jew on Christmas. This article ecapsulates it even more: http://www.bnet.com/blog/penelope-trunk/why-christmas-is-destroying-corporate-america/317?promo=665&tag=nl.e665<br /><br />The article, which is actually how many American Jews feel during Christmas in the states, is belied by a multitude of close-minded comments. Hundreds of them.<br /><br />Unfortunately, as a convert, you don't know what it's like growing up surrounded by anti-semetism, and pro-Christian/Christmas as a cultural/religious minority every year. As your article says, having a Hanukkah Bush is considered to be a joke. It would be, at best, disrespectful to have one, and at worst, sacreligious. You don't know what it's like to have ancestors die in the Holocaust or pogroms in the old country. Christmas is a yearly reminder not only that we are outsiders, but that if the will of the majority demands it, we could die en masse because of our faith or background.<br /><br />Bear in mind, I grew up middle-of-the-road conservative Jew and do not practice now...I maintain my heritage, and do not engage in Christmas activites. When growing up, we did not go to others' houses for Christmas celebrations out of respect for ours and their religions. We also did not invite Christians to our sedars, and sedars that we went to (both conservative and orthodox) did not ever, except on rare occasion, have Non-Jews at them. Certainly, we would never ever have Christians accompany us to services for any holiday, as seats were paid for and pre-determined with tickets. I hope this helps explain the December Dilema.<br /><br />FYI - Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, not Yom Kippur.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350663471360337682.post-53015714555783763242010-12-26T01:17:43.457-05:002010-12-26T01:17:43.457-05:00Very thoughtful post. I appreciated it. Though Chr...Very thoughtful post. I appreciated it. Though Christian (and Mormon to boot), I can see how hard the whole season would be. I think you did a great job. We have Jewish friends that gave us very thoughtful presents this year, and I appreciated them doing that. I in turn should give Chanukah presents to them! I should celebrate with them! I think when the focus is on people and on your friendships it's hard to go wrong. I guess that still doesn't make the situation any easier, so I applaud your efforts to live your religion.<br /><br />P.S. I totally think you should adopt if you are able to! (I know it's hard with the Foreign Service and all, but at least you could keep the child with you when traveling, unlike your poor pets! I'm sorry that happened!)Jamiehttp://www.unboundbookmaker.comnoreply@blogger.com