Posted on 12/09/2006 7:45:53 PM PST by XR7
SEA-TAC Airport - All of the Christmas trees inside the terminal at Sea-Tac have been removed in response to a complaint by a rabbi.A local rabbi wanted to install an 8-foot menorah and have a public lighting ceremony. He threatened to sue if the menorah wasn’t put up, and gave a two-day deadline to remove the trees.
Sea-Tac public affairs manager Terri-Ann Betancourt said the trees that adorn the Sea-Tac upper and lower levels may not properly represent all cultures.
She said that since this is their busiest time of year and they don't have time to add a fair representation of all cultures, her department decided to take down all of the decorations, review their policies, and decide if they need to make a change for next year.
"You know, our focus is on customer service, getting our passengers through the airport, and we thought if we could take the trees down and avoid litigation because we don't want to littigate with this individual, we want to reach some kind of solution," Betancourt said. "But that is going to take some thoughtful discussion and we would like to have time to have that thoughtful discussion."
Until then, no Christmas decor at Sea-Tac.
The same decorations have been put up for at least 10 years, she added.
Anybody have the name of the "rabbi" and the denomination he represents?
Chabad has been putting up public menorahs for years, and they have never sued to remove any Christmas decorations. They have, in fact, been threatened and harrassed many times by ACLU and the liberal Jewish denominations for their public menorahs.
Will they have a giant slave in chains to celebrate Kwanzaa?
Heh. So Scrooge might be deified, then the pantheon of the season will be more complete.
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Scrooge could be like...Satan, ya know?
I think it is shameful that a Chabad rabbi has had such a disgusting public temper tantrum. Chabad has put up public menorahs around the country for many years and has never threatened any Christmas displays.
It looks like Sea-Tac made the decision to remove the trees in order not to display the menorah.
It was bad form for the rabbi to threaten lawyers, and by doing so he has negated decades of good work by this fine organization.
I would like to hear Medved interview this guy.
Not shocking. Anti-Christmas bigotry is common here in NY too.
I wonder if his congregation is aware that he is using donations to hire lawyers to threaten litigation?
Terri-Ann Betancourt
Remember that name.
ditto.
I agree. Leave the trees and if someone wants to add a Menorah, fine.
This is truly disgusting action!!! Not one Christian complains about Menorahs.....and Jewish people wonder why anti-semitism is on the rise.....geesh. Bad things happen when good people let them. If Jews don't speak up against this it's just like the poem..."first they came for the communists but I did nothing because I wasn't a communist"...
Sorry, but the rabbi has no business INSISTING they put up a menorrah....how about ASKING rabbi.
INCREDIBLE!!!!!!! Just incredible. WTH is going on anymore. This "rabbi" is another of many who bring disgrace to this wonderful time of year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
A 'rabbi' I know of is an agnostic who does not believe in YHWH but gladly avails himself of the trappings and benefits of his position for selfish temporal gain. Of the same ilk as this rabbi, most likely, just less publicly a tool....
This woman has two first names, and only one last name? The author must have gotten her name backward.
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