Did A Lone Rabbi Mean to Ban Christmas Trees?

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.

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.

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.

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Got that right!

"And why shouldn't he continue his lawsuit to have a display of a Menorah.

You know how Christians always say that they have the right to proselytize- even where unwanted- because it is a religious mandate, well uniquely to the Menorah at Chanukah, there is a precept to have the lights publicly displayed to give witness to God's miracles."

He has every right to sue to his little hearts content. And everyone else can feel and act the way they wish in response. Personally, I think if the option is to have every single faith publicly represented on government property , I'd rather see none.

Medved only makes friends with Republicans?

Perhaps not all of his friends are Republicans, but, considering his ideology and his interests, I'd venture a guess that most of them are.

Well he has the right to file suit. He has the right to demand an apology, from people he's suing, because they are telling others that he's filing suit. He has the right to squawk when things don't go to suit him.

He's just loaded with rights. I don't know if you noticed (the Mel Gibson story so overshadowed this event) but a prominent Jewish lady in SEATTLE was murdered many weeks back by what looked to me, at least, an Islamic terrorist.

Airport? Like in LA? Airport? Like where all these Islamo-nuts seem to love to stage their antics?

You're darn tootin' I wouldn't allow a Jewish candle-lighting ceremony in this public and dangerous venue to take place. It'd be totally stupid. Much more provident to remove the trees.

I'm a little slow this evening. What religions place trees up in December?

Pagans. Christmas occurs when it does because the Church wanted to co-opt the pagan winter solstice celebration of Saturnalia. We do not know the exact date of Jesus' birth, but we know that it was NOT in winter because of Luke 2:8

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night"

which they would not be doing in winter

I know some pagans who would be obnoxious enough to send SEA-TAC an "include us too or we sue" letter

Have I backpedaled?

Making excuses even after the original media story was shown to be inaccurate? That's called backpedaling. Actually holding on to the original "fake but accurate" lie is not even on a level of backpedaling.

I am still convinced this rabbi is not pure of heart, but has a political agenda based on his personal bigotry.

Nothing will un-convince you. You were a bigot before this story broke and now you have an excuse to match your personal agenda you won't let go. Are you a mind reader? A clairvoyant? How do you know what this rabbi is thinking? Do you know this rabbi personally? (My sons do, BTW). What evidence do you have against him other than your own personal bigotry?

I admit it's not a big issue to me, I don't need "Public Square Christians" howling about a menorah to inform me of the existance of bigots.

We're getting closer to understanding each other here. I am wondering, though, if the issue of "public square" automatically indicates the presence of bigots. Is it bigotry to put up a nativity, or just to tell Jews they can't put up a menorah during the Jewish calendar time for Hannukah? I think Jews should be able to display menorahs publicly.

Your remark on an earlier post for Muslims also to be able to put up the crescent because there is a Christmas tree up has concerned me; whereas if they want to hang illuminated crescents around town and share their crescent stories during the Ramadan season, they should have a right. Insisting on doing so during the Christmas season is inappropriate and covetous, IMHO.

I don't have any problem with celebrating our pagan background. It is part of my ethnicity as a "European American". Christmas trees, Easter bunnies, yule logs, Halloween costumes, jack-o-lanterns, they all make us who we are.

STFU....what is wrong

Madam - I've read a lot of your posts. And we are all wrong now and again. Today is, apprently, one of your days for being wrong.

While I don't make issue about when Jesus was born, the time of year wouldn't be based on that verse about sheep. This is the second time I've come across this on FR and I find it a dumb argument. One shouldn't assume that every sheepherding enterprise 2000 years ago had access to a warm barn or whatever when bad weather approched. Plenty of sheepherders get stuck outdoors in modern times in bad weather. I guess some might have gotten barns, but all surely did not.

How was the story inaccurate? Do you mean there was no threat to sue? There most definitely was a threat--and the port told the Rabbi's Democrat lawyer that they planned to remove the trees rather than add more decorations. The Rabbi's team (which included a member of the Port advisory board who seems to be a member of this Rabbi's flock) had an opportunity to withdraw the suit, and did not, making themselves a party to the removal of the trees.

yes and it sucks that all of us have spent this time and energy posting back and forth the merits of culture vs. law and religious values vs. fairness, and Christian bashing vs. Jewish acceptance. why didnt they just put the Menorah up like thousands of others all over the place? Rabbi Bogomilsky using the law to stand behind his right to request a public display of a Menorah is not, as has been portrayed here today an outrage. it is an outrage that it became necessary to do so. I understand your (and others) sense of loss over this event. it is as absurd to blame the messenger which in this case is the Rabbi who was pointed out an inconsistency in law with the airport authority. Anyone who sees this and doesnt know that the airport by its action was trying to shift the blame by offending everyone equally as group punishment is wanting to see more to the event than is there.

"the airport offended just about everyone with their removal of the trees."

was this all a mistake or were the words remove the trees or we will sue not uttered?

now it's the airport who (which) is at fault? the authorities mis-understood the threat of a lawsuit if the trees were not removed?

just who the he** are these people and where do they get their ba&&s to be so obnoxious and then have the audacity to deny their intent?

o.k. all you christians...your christianity is offensive and you should all
go away. sarcasm off.

Probably. They're not really Christian, but they symbolize America at Christmas time, even if they only symbolize shopping, and getting rid of them is enough to gladden any mullah's heart.

How was the story inaccurate?

The story reported that the rabbi's intention was to remove the Christmas decorations from the airport, and that he was offended by the decorations.

HE NEVER DEMANDED THAT THE AIRPORT REMOVE THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

Jeez, you would think people were getting their throats slashed on airliners or something.

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.

Wow. It's rare to see Medved so glaringly wrong. The airport only did the obvious thing and took the path of least resistance (and cost). Congratulations to Medved's lawsuit-happy, scumbag rabbi buddy.

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