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Path: utzoo!lsuc!dave
From: dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: San Francisco Menorah Controversy
Message-ID: <217@lsuc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 10:54:09 EST
Article-I.D.: lsuc.217
Posted: Tue Dec 18 10:54:09 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 12:17:57 EST
References: <291@mhuxm.UUCP>
Reply-To: dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman)
Distribution: net
Organization: Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
Lines: 17


Even if the menorah is comparable to a creche (nativity scene),
as J. Abeles suggests, I'm not sure that it would be equally
"wrong" to have a large one on display. Christianity is unquestionably
the dominant religion in North America, and most sects within
Christianity believe in missionizing (read: converting the Jews,
and others). Putting up a Jewish religious symbol such as a menorah,
however, poses no "threat" to non-Jews, precisely because Jews have
no interest in converting non-Jews. The purposes of the menorah, as
I see it, is twofold: to remind Jews of Chanukah, that they might
remember to observe it; and to announce our celebration to the world
at large, that they may know of it (but not observe it).

Dave Sherman
-- 
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