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From: davidm@tektronix.UUCP (David M. Meyer)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Christmas {report} card
Message-ID: <4652@tektronix.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 29-Dec-84 23:01:14 EST
Article-I.D.: tektroni.4652
Posted: Sat Dec 29 23:01:14 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Dec-84 04:19:38 EST
References: <2028@nsc.UUCP> <2031@nsc.UUCP> <1014@aecom.UUCP>
Reply-To: davidm@tektronix.UUCP (David M. Meyer)
Distribution: net
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 81
Summary: 

In article <1014@aecom.UUCP> teitz@aecom.UUCP (Eliyahu Teitz) writes:
>> 
>> Chuqui has inadvertantly brought up
>> a problem to those of us who are not Christian,  particularly those
>> of us who are Jewish. Christmas and Jews.
>> >Being brought up in the Judeo-Christian ethic, Christmas has always been a
>> >very important time in my life.   
>> 	Christmas is not Jewish, has no roots in Judaism and is
>> not related to any Jewish holiday.  Every year I am somewhat disturbed by
>> otherwise caring and thinking people assuming that Jews celebrate Christmas.
>> If you are Christian, do not assume that your Jewish friends celebrate
>> Christmas!  Do not wish us a Merry Christmas!  You can wish Jews a Happy
>> Chanuka since that runs from Dec 18(evening) to Dec 26(day).  Be aware
>> that Chanuka is not an important holiday however.  It is only a very minor
>> holiday and is often not celebrated in Israel.
>
>   I agree to most of what you say. I don't know why you consider Channuka
> a minor holiday. It does not have the same status as a Torah commanded 
> holiday, but it is not minor. Also, bringing proofs from Israel isn't
> valid. After all, they celebrate Independence Day there and I do not consider
> it a holiday in any sense of the word.
>
>
>> 	This does not mean that I or most Jews mind being invited to
>> Christmas parties.  I am willing to join Christian friends in celebrating
>> their holidays just as I often invite Christian friends to celebrate mine.
>
>     Here I must disagree. Please do not speak for other Jews. If you
> don't mind attending christmas parties, that's your choice. I personally
> don't want to be invited the same as I prefer not being wished a merry
> christmas or even season's greetings. My religion is not their's and the
> sooner they realize it the better for us all. I would explain that I do 
> not celebrate their holidays and decline but I would prefer if they realized
> that I do not celebrate as they do.
>
>> 	So don't buy Jewish friends Christmas presents or send us
>> Christmas cards.  Remember people are all different and this time of
>> year means something very different to Jews and Christians.
>> 
>> 			Jay Zelitzky
>> 			{ihnp4,hplabs,decwrl}!nsc!myunive
>
>       To this I also agree. The sooner our christian neighbors realize
> that there are other people with different beliefs, the sooner we will
> see peaceful coexistence.
>
>				Eliyahu Teitz.


	Sorry to repost the entire article, but since I didn't receive the
	newgroup (and hence the original article), I thought the context
	was important.

	Now to my point: Aren't Christians (and other faiths, for that matter)
	just trying to impart some of the joy and goodwill that they feel
	at Christmas time to us (humans)? When someone wishes you "Merry
	Christmas", or some other (non-Jewish) holiday greeting, do you
	really believe that the goal is to some how subvert our ethnic
	identity? I would suggest that the answer is no. Further, isn't the 
	fact that people get the "Christmas Spirit" (if they do) wonderful
	(where by Christmas Spirit I mean peace on earth, goodwill towards
	your fellow man, ....)?

	I believe that, as Jews, we should have a strong enough ethnic identity
	to understand our (non-Jewish) friends. After all, I don't believe
	that (in general), they have our demise in mind. Finally, there are
	more important social issues for us to focus on other that
	the "indignation" we feel when wished a "Merry Christmas".

	Finally, as to the issue of our being at peace sooner if 
	non-Jewish people realize that there are different faiths (other than 
	their own), I ask the following: Does anyone really believe that such 
	people are unaware of Judism? The problems we face (in the Arab world, 
	for example) are much broader that mere awareness that Jews don't 
	celebrate Christmas.


	Peace,


	David Meyer