Jews for 'It's OK to Say Merry Christmas' Press Conference Thursday in Washington, D.C.

PR ^ | Nov 30 05 | Jews for its OK Merry Christmas

[KevinDavis]

Also I think there are people who had a misrable Christmas when they where kids and feel the need to force their misery upon us..

[nanetteclaret]

Jesus celebrated Hanukkah:

"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch." John 10:22-23 (KJV )

[fortunecookie]

I believe you're absolutely correct on all counts. In my experience, Jewish people have been very gracious about the holidays I celebrate. And I, in return, treat their observances with equal amounts of respect.

This has been my experience also. My mother, a Catholic, is no longer with us and neither is her friend, a Jewish man. He ran a store and would decorate with enthusiasm for his Christian patrons, complete with Nativity scene, wishing each Christian patron a sincere Merry Christmas, and a whole section of the store, if not the whole thing, would have decorations that corresponded to Jewish holy days. He and my mom lamented about the secularization of holidays, Hanukah and Christmas.

Secularists, athiests, the ACLU and other agenda-ridden lefties are the perpetrators of the Christmas debacle. It's heartening to see we've got a backlash in play.

This conference is a wonderful idea. I can't wait to hear more about it. What a line up - Rabbi Lapin, Jackie Mason, Don Feder and more. It's a good start. I'm sure it will disturb the actions planned by the aclu/secularist/lefties types.

[Convert from ECUSA]

[MarkL]

Where do I sign up?

Mark

[fortunecookie]

I know I've said this before but here in my mostly Catholic town the locals have been saying 'Happy Holidays' to each other for several years now. To be sensitive or whatever. Many are union employees. Many are not typical lefties or secularists. I've been greeted with Happy Holidays by the folks in my Church office, in my Church choir, fellow Catholics who know I am one and in the past have said Merry Christmas instead. I wish them a Merry Christmas regardless. It's a recent phenomenon. I don't know if anyone else has encountered this among Christians they are acquainted with.

[Forte Runningrock]

"After all Christianity arose out of Judaism and all the Jewish holidays should still be significant to Christians."

No they shouldn't be, and aren't. There is no duality to these celebrations. Jesus brought us a new covanant one which we are to follow without exception.

[MarkL]

Hannukah is about a rebellion against a tyrant and gift-giving, cards, etc. are not appropriate.

Actually, Hannukah is a celebration of both the victorious rebellion against a tyrant, and the rededication of the Holy Temple. A miracle happened there, when one day's worth of oil lasted 8 days.

While Hannukah is a relativly minor holiday, nowhere near the importance of what Christmas represents to the Christian religions, it's still a very joyous holiday.

Mark

[fortunecookie]

Also I think there are people who had a misrable Christmas when they where kids and feel the need to force their misery upon us..

Good point! I actually heard that from a nun. But now that we're grownups we have the chance to change that and make a Merry Christmas for ourselves and those around us. And also for those in need. Maybe they need to drop their anger over it, let it go.

[Hildy]

How do I join this organization?

[timsbella]

110% right on that. I have never taken offense at being wished a Merry Christmas, or even folks asking if I've done my holiday shopping. I like getting everyone's cards and newsletters - it's nice to have real mail and it shows they care! I find it more than a little bizarre the notion that people put up "holiday" trees. And chanukah bushes - don't even go there. (Mine would be a palm tree shading a three olive martini.)

I say enjoy your holidays to the fullest as I would like to enjoy mine.

[timsbella]

Another note about Chanukah - it was a rebellion against a tyrant who allowed no other religion, so the Jewish uprising wasn't just for Judaism it was for other faiths as well. As I say often, Christians and Jews must stand together -- no one else will stand for us.

[Uncle Miltie]

Merry Christmas!

From one of about 97 Jews in North Dakota!

[Forte Runningrock]

Jesus celebrated Hanukkah: "And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch." John 10:22-23 (KJV )

No he didn't. That's a rediculous thing to say.

"I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life'." (Jn.8:12).

Long before the Light of God appeared, the Law had foreseen His coming. Moses tried to prepare the people of Israel for that moment, warning that they had to listen and obey Him under penalty of death. The people waited in great expectation. Over the years, Hebrew tradition prepared a backdrop to highlight the moment. So it was, when the moment was near that in the dead of winter, on the 25th day of Chislev in the Jewish calendar, an eight-day celebration called the 'Festival of Lights' began. This Jewish 'Feast of Dedication' (Hannukah) honors the rededication of the Jewish temple after it had been defiled by the forces of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The Festival of Lights proclaims the cleansing of the temple and its altar by Judas Maccabees in the aftermath of the Old Testament incident on which Daniel's 'Abomination of Desolation' was based.

The desolating sacrifice was instituted on the 15th day of Chislev (1 Macc.1:57), a lunar Hebrew month which correlates with the Christian solar month of December (December 8, 167 B.C.).

The temple was purified three years later on the 25th day of Chislev (1 Macc.4:52), an event commemorated by Hannukah. (December, 164 B.C.)Ten days in December separate these two events, the same number of days that often separate Hannukah from Christmas.

The true re-purification of God's temple occurred, not by the hand of a Maccabee, but with the birth of Jesus Christ. Born on earth in a dedication ceremony directed by God Himself, Jesus cleansed the temple with a whip and a cross ­ driving out its desecrators (all who sin) and in this way bringing true worship to the altar of God.

Jesus was the true meaning of Hannukah. He offered Himself to purify the sacrifice and cleanse a contaminated people so that they could be restored to God. He appeared as the true light of God on earth, a light that imparted eternal life. A festival of light to honor His coming was in perfect keeping with the religious calendar, especially a calender in which the two dates so closely coincide.

Moses, having been given authority by God to make the Old Testament the template for the new covenant, carefully chronicled a series of holy festivals and feast days, almost all of which now have Christian counterparts which have superseded and fulfilled what they originally stood for.

[sofaman]

Here's my concern. The effort to remove "Under God" from the pledge and from our currency is part of the war the left has declared on Christianity in particular, and religion in general.

These people also now want Christmas trees to be called "Holiday" trees..next they will want the holiday itself named what?

So, here's what I think should happen. We should rename Martin Luther King Day, Anti-Bigotry Day and combine MLK Day with Cesar Chavez Day. This would, of course, incorporate Rosa Parks Day, which I'm sure is just around the corner.

If Christians and Christmas are under threat by the Left, then I believe, we as a country should be consistent.

I for one, will be wishing folks a Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah. I refuse to wish people happy holidays. Christmas is a religious holiday...so is Hanukkah. I will not relegate them to secular status.

BTW, I'm an Orthodox Jew who grew up in a Christian country and, as chance would have it, Rabbi Daniel Lapin's Dad, was MY Rabbi at one point in Cape Town, South Africa.

[red irish]

You mean like the school who will be teaching spanish instead of english? Or here where the bishop helped build a new church for the mexicans and there are churches in our parishes who need things. It ca't be because they don't understand english? A couple of weeks ago we had a weather warning and the ticker across the tv was in spanish. And let it be known I am not against the mexican people they have been my neighbors and I have helped them out whenever they needed it. The one time the wife caught her oven on fire and we took care of it but they had taken down the smoke alarm. Which I made a very strong suggestion that someone needs to explain to them NOT TO DO THAT AND WHY. But the whole time she was asking for help she didn't speak a word of english. The only word I understood was grandio something like that. If the government wants all these mexicans here they really need to have some kind of sponsors to teach them english not us spanish. Especially when they are in an emergency type situation and need to communicate with their neighbors.

[red irish]

Did you see his show last night. He had a lawyer on that with another 500 lawyers ready to defend any town or anyone who has to go against the aclu. Then there was a minister who has asked his church to spend money at the stores where they say merry christmas and the holiday word.

[Convert from ECUSA]

" (Mine would be a palm tree shading a three olive martini.)"

:) Hmmmm. Now that's what I'd call a "chanukah bush!" Shaken, not stirred?!!?!? :)

[Zionist Conspirator]

You know what gets me in all this? Chanukkah is the only Jewish holiday many non-Jews know about, and it's all because of political correctness in december. This past october contained every single one of the Jewish fall holidays--each and every one of them far more important than Chanukkah--but no one heard about them. And certainly no one was afraid to wish anyone "happy halloween" for fear of offending Jews!

Has anyone ever heard of T"U BiShevat, the minor Jewish holiday that falls around valentine's day each year? Of course not. How about La"G Ba`Omer, which usually falls around Mother's Day or Memorial Day? Nope. And as for Purim, despite its having an entire book of the Bible about it, forget about hoping someone will wish you a happy Purim in the midst of all the St. Patrick's Day revelry. No sir, all the Jewish holidays have been banished to an Orwellian memory hole except for one, and that one is remembered only as a sort of Jewish "kwanzaa" to promote multiculturalism. Never mind that Chanukkah is the oldest of the three holidays celebrated each year at this time!

I'm a Noachide, which means I believe chr*stmas is wrong. Not "politically incorrect," but simply wrong, which is why I gave it up. But it's no more wrong than halloween, valentine's, or any of the other pagan holidays that our society celebrates so enthusiastically with no regard whatsoever to the sensitivities of Jews or people like me who grew up celebrating chr*stmas but gave it up because of their understanding of G-d's will. Pardon my language, but . . . gobshite.

[John O]

No they shouldn't be, and aren't.

2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

All scripture includes the OT where most of the Jewish holidays arise from.

Further, all the major events of Jesus' first coming line up with Judaic spring festivals, end time Bible prophecy seems to point to all the major events of Jesus' second coming lining up with Judaic fall festivals.

If we don't know Judaism we'll never understand all of the bible. Remember Jesus was Jewish. He considered the festivals significant (He instituted them after all)

Note that this doesn't mean we are to observe them, we are free from the law after all, but they are still significant.