Posted on 12/11/2006 5:52:47 PM PST by Mr. Mulliner
Well here we go again. It is so utterly predictable. Like clockwork. It’s December and time for another skirmish in the annual battle against Christmas. What compels me to comment is that this time it's not the usual secular fanatic who's responsible for doing things that evict Christianity from the culture. No, on this sad and alarming occasion it's a deeply religious, well-intentioned rabbi who has unwittingly stumbled into a situation that will place his denomination (and mine) —Orthodox Judaism— in a terrible, negative light.
For at least ten years, Sea-Tac Airport near Seattle has displayed several large, beautifully decorated Christmas trees each December. With lawyer in tow, a local rabbi recently threatened to sue the Port of Seattle if the airport didn't add a Chanukah menorah to the holiday display.
Yielding to the ultimatum was not an option for airport management, skittish at the best of times since 9-11. Understandably, they interpreted the rabbi’s threat as only the first. It would not be hard to imagine Seattle’s Islamic community stepping forward with their own lawyer to demand a Moslem symbol be included as well.
With deft turn of phrase, Sea-Tac public affairs manager Terri-Ann Betancourt explained that at the busiest travel time of the year, while Sea-Tac was focused on getting passengers through the airport, she and her staff didn’t have time “to play cultural anthropologists.”
Threatening a lawsuit, I feel, violates the Jewish principle known in Hebrew as Kiddush HaShem, interpreted in the Talmud, part of ancient Jewish wisdom, as an action that encourages people to admire Jews. One need only read the comments on the Internet following the news accounts of the tree removal, to know that most people are feeling indignant and hurt. They certainly are not feeling more warmly toward Jews as a result of this mess.
Here I disclose that I know the rabbi involved, am friendly with him, and am sure that he didn’t intend this outcome. I like him, which makes it painful for me to point out that when one throws a punch (which is what bringing a lawyer and threatening to sue is equivalent to) and one gets decked in return, one cannot plead that one didn’t intend that outcome.
The outcome, whether intended or not, is that now vast numbers of passengers, most of whom are probably Christian, will be deprived of the cheerful holiday sight of pretty Christmas trees. What is more, they will know that their deprivation was caused by a Jewish rabbi. The rabbi’s lawyer told a television reporter, “There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch.”
No, Mr. Lawyer, it is not that Jews will be “portrayed” as the grinch. Sadly, now we are the grinch. You made us the grinch.
Now what is to be done? I have three requests:
I am asking every reader of this column to sign a petition on the Toward Tradition website beseeching Sea-Tac management to restore the Christmas trees.
I am asking every reader of this column to forward it to others who might be willing to sign this petition.
I am asking Jews in the Puget Sound region to join national radio host, Michael Medved, and me in offering our volunteer labor to Sea-Tac. We hope they will allow us to provide the labor necessary for replacing the trees so that airport staff need not be deflected from their important duties.
A local Rabbi asks that they include something they left out because they consider it religious- while the rest are secular- THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
They refuse. The Rabbi threatens to sue.
Instead of answering in court, the Airport chickens out and removes Gandhi and all the other stuff.
The Rabbi would be a hero here.
well-intentioned rabbi?
He sicked a lawyer on the Port authority to force them to put up a jewish religious symbol.
Did he persue any methods to have this occur, before having a lawyer make threats? I bet not.
Now the rabbi is claiming the typical liberal "accountability for ones own actions isn't required because I have a lawyer to claim the chewbacca defense". That he had no idea they would respond this way. The guy is a jackass and deserves any flack he gets.
Seattle is a politically correct liberal hellhole that looks for any excuse it can to destroy christmas. I'm not surpised in the least by the airports response.
Last year, multiple public schools started banning holiday decorated trees because one, ONE!!!!! coffessed athiest parent complained.
I heard about this statement earlier on the radio. I have to say that for a bureaucrat, that is a starkly insightful phrase given the situation Sea-Tac found itself in.
This is an attempt to do something constructive and they may well succeed if they naysayers are willing to step out of the way, or better yet, help.
Naysayers need a reason to keep popping Di-Gels.
The resentment, if any, should be directed solely at this particular rabbi and at the capitulating Sea-Tec officials. Most American Jews don't give a whit about the abundance of Christmas displays (and lack of Hannukah displays) at airports or other public venues, so taking it out on the Jewish population as a whole is rather ludicrous.
The Messiah in Hanukkah
The law did not require Jews to be at the Temple in Jerusalem, as this was not one of the pilgrimage festivals. Every one observed it in his own place, not as a holy time. Jesus was there that He might improve those eight days of holiday for good purposes.
Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch when the Sadduciens asked him “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ tell us.” They pretended to want to know the truth, as if they were ready to embrace it; but it was not their intention. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:25-27). He had told them, and they believed not; why then should they be told again, merely to gratify their curiosity?
Miracles
Hanukkah’s theme is of a miracle. During Hanukkah Jesus spoke of His miracles: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him (John 10:37-38). Jesus wanted the people of his day to see His miracles and believe in Him as a result. His miracles point to his divine and messianic identity. In this way Yeshua personifies the message of Hanukkah: God actively involved in the affairs of his people. Hanukkah reminds us that God is a God of miracles, not just of concept and religious ideals. He has broken through into human history and continues to do so today. All of us who know Yeshua can speak of God’s working in our lives.
Minority , yes but the Jewish Jews minority.
I guess we're just going to see it differently. The trees are gone because of a threat of litigation by a Rabbi.
The general public doesn't care two hoots about whether a menorah was there are not, but they do care that a Rabbi did something that caused the trees to come down.
Nobody is running from the sight of a menorah. They object to the removal of the trees under threat of litigation.
I'm guessing that you support the Rabbi's actions. My perception is that in life you generally reap what you sow.
I misunderstood Mr. Mojo's initial post. I thought he was saying Rabbi Lapin's views represented a "barely perceptible" minority of Jews. Instead he was talking about Mr. Lawyer, the one who threatened Sea-Tac over this issue.
Well posted.
Public officials in this state are always looking for an excuse to destroy christmas.
They must of danced a jig when they got the papers from the lawyer.
"Oh yahh, we now have the perfect excuse to get those trees out of the airport forever! Yeee-haw!!!"
If the Religious Right in this country perceives that the Jewish religion is assaulting it (as opposed to the notorious liberal jewish lawyers that routinely do so), support for Israel itself will plummet like a rock
I doubt it, a airport official over reacted to the threatened lawsuit, this isn't a case of religious symbols being removed, it is a case of a realpolitik airport company dumping christmas trees.
And in a away it does show how far we hfallen here, this idea that "the jews" are somehow responsible for the anti christian sentiment that permeates many institutions inside the US.
IT'S THE LIBERALS! who are doing that sort of stuff.
"why should we leave that alone if we would like to see the christmas trees restored?"
they are engaging in manipulation.
Agreed, but I'm making the assertion that the public is fully capable of blaming this directly on the Jewish faith because of who made the complaint.
The Rabbi requested a Menorah be displayed. As is done throughout the country.
Sea-Tac freaked, took down the trees rather than display the Menorah.
Does the general public give two hoots about the Menorah, perhaps not, and if the price of Holiday Trees is a Menorah, perhaps most Americans don't give a hoot, if Sea-Tac says no trees if theres a Menorah, the heck with the Menorah.
As to agreeing with the Rabbi, as I've stated dozens of times now, involving a lawyer was stuupid. Requesting a Menorah, well sure, that's OK here in America. My guess most of the general public is OK with that, but certainly not all.
Having only 5% of the population they sure do sound like little yapping dogs.
The muslims in detroit are picking up on their antics and are now playing copy cat !
Only stupid members of the public will do this.
Who is engaging in manipulation? The Sea-Tac officials who took the trees down under threat of litigation or those trying to petition Sea-Tac to restore the trees?
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