Posted on 12/11/2006 6:37:44 PM PST by kellynla
SEATAC, Wash. — The official Christmas trees may still be missing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few individual airline employees have decided to try to put some spirit back into the holiday.
Employees at both Delta and Frontier airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall decorated trees for the check-in counter.
The airlines employees' move came after airport officials removed all nine Christmas trees in the building in response to a rabbi's request to add an 8-foot menorah to the holiday decorations.
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky made the request weeks ago, when he demanded officials add a menorah next to the trees and threatened to file a lawsuit if his request wasn't honored.
Instead, officials decided to remove holiday decorations as a whole. Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.
"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. "We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."
Bogomilsky said he was appalled by the decision.
"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," said Bogomilsky, who works at Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation headquartered in Seattle's University District.
After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
For the first time in - ever - I put a little 6" ceramic Christmas tree on my desk at work. All lit up with little colored ornament bulbs and everything. The Muslims/atheists can be offended by my faith if they so please.
Good for you! And tough for them!!
I sent Delta a message of support for their actions, I commend you all to do the same and support them when you can with your business
It's only public property that the Court cases apply to. A Delta ticket counter is not public property.
Delta has always been one of my favorties
Good thinking!
Couldn't agree more--why should any of these employees not be able to show holiday spirit? The Rabbi didn't even care about the Christmas trees; he just wanted a Menorah on display at the airport. How hard would it have been to put it on display?
OTOH, went one step further--put up an Advent calendar depicting the Nativity--and instead of candy, small quotes from Scripture. And I carry a small book of Advent reflections in plain sight. Oh the horrors!
I work part-time in retail--and have managers accusing me of being a Grinch for not wearing a Santa hat). Not one complaint from customers (several compliments though), but the bosses are saying it's politically incorrect...
"Rabbi Bogomilsky is now the official Grinch who tried to steal Christmas.
Ptooey on him !"
Bunk. The SeaTac Airport removed their "holiday trees". There would be no reason not to allow the Menorah, except it was religious, not secular as a holiday tree is. Do you actually think Seattle would have trees in the airport with mangers, angels and such. Get a grip and see this as what it is, NO RELIGION allowed
sw
Good job. There's nothing wrong with sharing your faith if it doesn't interfere with doing your work.
You are so off base that my 78 year old mom could pick you off with a simple lob to first.
When I think of the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIAN AMERICANS who paid the ultimate price to defeat Nazism and liberate Jews all over Europe; I think what this rabbi did is DISPICABLE!
And where are ALL THE JEWS IN AMERICA who should be voicing their support for Christians & Christmas; and yet I haven't heard a word from any of them...
not ONE FRIGGIN' WORD!
DISPICABLE = despicable
sorry, I am a little upset about this whole business!
fat bearded tard alert.
Threatening a lawsuit because he was told "no" about the Menorah?
If I were the airport, I wouldn't bother decorating at all next Christmas. Who wants the hassle of worrying about what will happen if decorations don't meet with some overly sensitive person's approval.
The whole thing is stupid beyond belief.
You Pagan, you!
Don't you realize that the Christmas tree is just a Pagan religious icon that has absolutely nothing - NOTHING - to do with Christmas.
:-P
---
Or, at least, that's what a lot of people here at the Free Republic are saying. Though, it is a bit strange to see so many observant Christians here get so worked up over the removal of pagan icons from the Seattle airport...
Yeah, you seem to be seething with rage at a Rabbi for the actions taken by the Port Authority Director.
You realize the director could just as easily say, "Okay, put up the menorah, too!"
But you're angry at the Jew for forcing the issue, instead???
That says a lot...
ya better stick to the AF...since that appears to be all you know. LMAO
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