Posted on 12/11/2006 8:14:08 AM PST by beaversmom
There’s an outrageous story out of Seattle (my home base) that shows the way that good intentions can occasionally produce disgusting results. Because of the prevailing climate of political correctness, a decent guy and honorable clergyman looks like a horse’s rear end and has provoked appropriate indignation from millions of people.
According to misleading news stories featured prominently in newspapers and on TV (including KING 5 TV News): “All 15 Christmas trees inside the main terminal at Sea Tac Airport (Seattle-Tacoma International) have been removed in response to a complaint by a rabbi. A rabbi wanted to install an eight-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.”
Who is this wretched rabbi who, apparently, wanted to spoil the holiday joy of his Christian neighbors out of pique and selfishness simply because he didn’t get the right to erect his own Hanukah display?
As a matter of fact, I know and like Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, the now notorious clergyman at the center of this swirling controversy. He’s a good guy, a young father of five (including new-born twins), and the son-in-law of the wonderful Rabbi at the synagogue I attend each week. I know that Rabbi Bogomilsky harbors no animus whatever toward Christians or Christmas. In fact he told the Seattle Times that he felt “appalled” by the airport’s decision to remove all its Christmas trees without warning on Saturday night. According to Rabbi Bogomilsky, “Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season.” According to the rabbi’s lawyer, Harvey Grad, “They’ve darkened the hall rather than turning the lights up.”
I spoke to Rabbi Bogomilsky less than a hour ago and he may join me on my radio show tomorrow to apologize to the community at large for the totally unintended consequences of his desire to include a large menorah along with the airport’s holiday decorations (according to various stories there were either 22, or 15, or 9 different Christmas trees before the airport cleared them away in the dead of night). When I asked the rabbi directly whether he would want the trees removed if the airport refused to put up his menorah he insisted, “Absolutely not.” He has no problem with the Christmas trees, which have brought seasonal joy to the airport (and provoked no complaints) for more than a decade. He would greatly prefer that the airport restore the trees – even if they fail to include the requested menorah alongside the seasonal greenery. In fact, another local rabbi and close personal friend, Daniel Lapin, has begun soliciting Jewish signatures on a petition to demand the return of the trees – and we will gladly recruit Jewish volunteers to provide free labor if that would help get the job done.
Those of us who are comfortable and secure in our own religiosity (which would surely include the rigorously observant Rabbi Bogomilsky) don’t feel threatened by public displays of faith by our Christian neighbors. Generally, it’s secular fanatics (of both Jewish and Christian background), militant separationists, who have waged war on Christmas trees, ten commandments monuments, crosses, and other benign symbols of the nation’s religious heritage.
So what went wrong with this whole miserable affair?
After two months of indecision from the Port of Seattle (the quasi-governmental agency that runs the airport) concerning the request for a menorah, the rabbi’s lawyer made the mistake (yes, it was a mistake) of threatening a federal lawsuit and the airport people panicked and ordered the removal of the trees. “We’re not in the business of offending anyone and we’re not eager to get into a federal lawsuit with anyone,” said Craig Watson, chief lawyer for the Port of Seattle. Patricia Davis, head of the Port Commission said, “We didn’t have other cultures represented and rather than scramble around to find representations of other cultures at this late date, we decided to take them down and consider it later.”
This is ridiculous, of course. “Other cultures” do not observe popular holidays at precisely this time (the Islamic month of Ramadan is over) and in thousands of public and private locations across the country the abundant, prominent and very beautiful Christmas decorations are harmlessly complemented (if hardly balanced) by menorahs.
Of course, in the current climate of hyper-sensitivity regarding public expressions of religious commitment, Rabbi Bogomilsky and Harvey Grad should have avoided the chilling, unnecessary phrase “law suit” at all costs --- even if the Port of Seattle refused to give them a timely answer on their menorah request. As a result of the threatened litigation, the whole world is witnessing a horrible situation in which the religious enthusiasm (however well intended) of one individual has led to the removal of decorations enjoyed by literally hundreds of thousands.
In addition to apologizing to those masses, and working conscientiously to restore the Christmas trees, I hope that Rabbi Bogomilsky and his colleagues in the sincere and warm-hearted Chabad-Hasidic movement in Judaism will reconsider their menorah strategy next winter. They’ve already succeeded in magnificent terms in installing some 6,000 highly visible menorahs in public places across the country (including, by the way, the Washington State Capitol in Olympia) – and even at unlikely sites like Red Square in Moscow. This is a singular, even inspriring, achievement. If, however, local authorities prove unwilling to accommodate the menorahs, it’s a terrible idea to try to force their hands by comparing our candelabra to Christmas trees or wreaths or Santa Claus effigies already in place.
Though some of my fellow Jews may howl in protest when I say so, there are strong arguments to be made against public menorahs that can’t be made against Christmas trees. It’s not just that Christians outnumber us in this society by about 40 to 1; it’s that Christmas trees reasonably can be construed as a secular symbol but a menorah (despite some prior court decisions) emphatically cannot. The eight-branched “Hanukiah” or “Menorah” that we light every year for the holiday specifically recalls the seven-branched menorah that was a sacred element in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem up till 70 A.D. Though the big menorahs with bulbs that are prominently displayed in public places are not, strictly speaking, sacramental objects (because they don’t use candles or oil), they distinctly resemble the smaller menorahs we use at home and over which we recite blessings (citing the Almighty, of course) every night of the holiday. In fact, the chief mitzvah (holy commandment) of the Hanukah holiday requires the lighting of these candelabra and reciting the blessings, so it’s deeply misleading or, at best, a stretch, to call the menorah a secular symbol. Christians do not routinely pronounce blessings or recite prayers over Christmas trees.
This doesn’t mean that I think that menorahs should come down from public places: they belong in parks and plazas and airports, shedding the light of their message, but so do nativity scenes and other holiday symbols that bear unmistakably religious trappings. When the founders prohibited “an establishment of religion” they did not mean to banish all faith-based imagery from the public square.
Nor, for that matter, did Rabbi Bogomilsky mean to banish Christmas decorations from the Seattle airport.
Spokespeople for the Port of Seattle say they’re “not in the business of offending anyone,” but when did Rabbi Bogomilsky ever say, or even imply, that he was offended by Christmas trees? As a matter of fact, he welcomes the trees, as do I, as do all people of good will – Jewish and Christian alike.
What offended the rabbi and should offend all of us is the banning of religious symbols, not their presence. The airport may not be “in the business of offending anyone” but they’ve just offended just about everyone with their stubborn, wrong-headed, and utterly misguided decision.
The tree is not a Christian symbol. Many conservative religious preach against it--for myself, it's a decoration and tradition. But I guess it's close enough to a Christian symbol that the airport decided to run scared. Sensible.
But if you're not scared of a lawyer high on fees and spite, you're not smart.
I'm not hateful at all. I believe things have only gotten better for all groups here but that's because people have fought to speak up for themselves if they felt they were being treated unequally. That said, sometimes simply opening your mouth is a far better approach than resorting to a lawyer.
Agreed but you'd never get to the "now" without getting past the "then". OMG, I sound like the slick one. Shoot me now!
Good point and maybe I'm naive but I just don't think this guy is trying to stomp on others' beliefs. If that's his goal then shame on him but I'd like to think he's just truly trying to get equality.
SEATAC, Wash. There will be no more Christmas trees at Sea-Tac Airport this season after the Port of Seattle received at least one complaint about them.
For more than 25 years, the airport has celebrated the holidays with Christmas trees over its entrances. But overnight, the Port of Seattle ordered all 15 trees removed.
The Port allowed "holiday" decorations to remain but decided to take down all the Christmas trees after a Seattle rabbi complained they were offensive... The Port of Seattle says it had little choice. It says the Seattle rabbi with the Central Organization for Jewish Learning hired a lawyer and threatened to sue... (KOMO-TV, KING-TV)
Looks like you don't think an apology amounts to much. You have a lot of company.
Well said. Totally with you on that.
But be aware, pro-Israel chr*stians, that the moment 12/25 passes you will go right back to having nothing in common with anti-Semitic chr*stians who prefer Constantine to Solomon, Rome or Constantinople to Jerusalem, [the] writings of medieval saints to the inerrant Word of G-d. These "friends" of yours who are so up in arms about the war on chr*stmas will go right back to promoting evolution and the idea that the "old testament" is mythology and parable, and you will be alone again. Don't fall for it. I'm begging you, don't fall for it.
We're doin' good until the second sentence, which gives the impression that Christians who actually attempt to follow the word of God cannot possibly be the same ones offended by secular, Jewish or legalist activists trying to suppress public expression of Christian symbols. And that they are cultivating or elevating the opinions of "friends" who are obviously uninformed in the scriptures.
Or am I misreading your intention?
Actually...they did. But not for this issue.
During a Town Meeting this year the ACLU sent lawyers to speak against an article that was being voted on. This article would define exactly what was considered a "family" by the Planning (Zoning) Board and would also provide stiff penalties for landlords who rent their units to parties not fitting within these parameters.
The intent was to prevent large numbers of unrelated illegal immigrants from packing themselves into a single rental unit and living like rats in a flop house. (It happened in a few places in town)
The ACLU lawyers were shouted down, told they were not town residents or Town Meeting members and were asked to leave.
The article passed but our über liberal State Legislature found out about it (probably via the ACLU) and shot it down.
So we are probably on the ACLU shiite list.
"Threatening a federal lawsuit was assinine."
Having had all too much interaction with AgencyPersons, I can assure my fellow FReepers that often only threat of a federal suit will cause any positive action on the part of the Agency or the AgencyPerson.
"Threatening a federal lawsuit was assinine."
Having had all too much interaction with AgencyPersons, I can assure my fellow FReepers that often only threat of a federal suit will cause any positive action on the part of the Agency or the AgencyPerson.
Bookmark
He ain't goin' to cotton to that!
You may be right but his way of achieving equality smacks me as mean-spirited.
Here is my email to the Rabbi. His email address is: rabbi@chaiseattle.com
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky,
Why is removing Christmas trees from public forums during the Christmas season so important to you? When I see Jewish symbols I am not offended. I am very happy to see them. It tells me that there are people of faith and kindness. My first impulse when I see Jewish symbols is not to say there must also be a Christmas tree or I am going to sue!
Personally, I find your actions to be very petty and childish. Millions of people will go through the SEATAC terminals and be denied the traditional Christmas experience because you could not see your chosen Jewish symbol. That does not strike me as a positive way to win friends and find common ground with your opponents.
Hundreds of millions of Christians in this country generously support the State of Israel and all that she stands for. Do you think your petty stand “You must take down the Christmas trees, if you do not put up Jewish symbols, or I will sue is really the appropriate action to be taken? Why cannot you be as generous and understanding of American Christians as they are of the Jewish faith and the State of Israel?
You really have disappointed me. Your actions bring great sorrow to me and many others.
Sincerely,
The Rabbi and his organization, including a fellow named Mitchell Stein who was on the Port advisory board (I'm still trying to find out who this guy is)--were in full knowledge that a lawsuit had been threated. See the new thread from the Seattle Times on FR. The airport did the only thing it could--get rid of the trees. The Rabbi was demanding a ceremony which would have provided a focus for further controversy...Seattle is on edge from the killing of a prominent Jewish lady a few months back.
The Rabbi didn't get what he wanted, but he got what he threatened.
the point of mine to which you are referring is merely, that Chabad-Lubavitch arranges for public Menorahs paid for with private funds so you don't have to worry about your tax dollars paying for them.
just curious, in your mind, was WWII about saving Jews or destroying tyranical regiemes which sought to destroy America? was saving Jews a by-product of the war or it's cause?
just curious 2
do you know how many Jews served in the US Armed Forces in WWII?
Approximately 550,000 Jewish men and women served in the United States armed forces during World War II, the equivalent of 37 divisions. The participation of 11 percent of the Jewish population in the service, 50 percent of the men age 18 to 44, ensured that few Jewish families would not have a close relative in uniform. Widespread involvement in the military turned Jews into fighters. They became seasoned soldiers, competent in handling arms and comfortable in taking risks. It was the only generation of American Jews to know military life firsthand. The experience changed their lives, their perceptions of the world and their self-understanding as Jews. "The experience of the war years," Lucy Dawidowicz observed, "had a transfiguring effect on American Jews and on their ideas of themselves as Jews."
When Jews Were GIs: World War II and the Remaking of American Jewry
so does one privately paid for Menorah in Seattle equate to "50 percent of the men age 18 to 44" in your mind?
Uh, yeah. You have a problem with that? Was a loved one killed in the riots?
I'm a little slow this evening. What religions place trees up in December?
No.
re-read the responses, substituting "hate-filled liberal" for what you assumed "Jew".
No, I can't say why Jews (as a group!) vote over 85% for liberal hate-filled international socialist atheistss, when ONLY republican conservatives (many of whom are REAL Christians) love and support the Jewish communities and their ethics.
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