Airport's trees stoking "war on Christmas". (SEATAC Update)

Seattle Times ^ | 12-11-06 | Stuart Eskenazi

[NavyCanDo]

The departure of Christmas tree displays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — the Port of Seattle's response to a local rabbi's insistence that an electric menorah also be put up — is accelerating into an international spectacle in the so-called "war on Christmas."

And that is not what Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky wanted.

"I am devastated, shocked and appalled at the decision that the Port of Seattle came to," he said Sunday. As news coverage about the airport's trees spread from CNN to ABC to the Paris-based International Herald Tribune, Bogomilsky on Sunday began to receive hateful messages from people holding him responsible for the removal of the trees.

[Suzy Quzy]

The Rabbi wanted a lighting ceremony. The tree has NOTHING to do with Christianity, but the menorrah does.

[TXBubba]

Thanks for that post beaversmom. After I had my first angry response I remembered the story was being reported by the MSM. Wouldn't they love to get the Christians and Jews at each others throats?! Just like I don't like it when all Christians are labeled by the actions of one person, I had to remind myself not to label all Jews by one man's actions....which in this case were misrepresented anyway.

[Salvation]

I think we all need to cancel our flights in and out of Seattle. (And let the airport management -- not the airlines -- know why.) Although contacting all the airlines might not be suc a bad idea. They will put pressure on Seattle.

(Nah! Just fly out of Spokane or Portland instead.)

Make them pay for their supidity.

[Froufrou]

The airport has no policy governing the longtime holiday display because no one has ever challenged it before, Betancourt said.

Where do you get 10 years from this? I'm confused...

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

That is okay the Rabbi got the Christmas trees removed now the airport will have room to put in Muslim prayer rooms. /s

[SFC Chromey]

If the Pali's in Gaza are putting up a tree at a mosque in Bethlehem, why is this even an issue anywhere in the US?

AP Caption: Children play as a Palestinian worker decorates a Christmas tree with lights in front of a mosque in Manger Square as part of Christmas preparations in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Saturday Dec. 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

[ichabod1]

It's like they're saying "we'd rather cancel the whole thing than cater to a bunch of Jooos."

[TaraP]

The ignorance is with people that want to do with anything that pertains to GOD. The rabbi I believe wanted something put up *A Menorah* that was religious and should be honored by all Christians and Jews.

Jesus Christ was not a Gentile, nor a Christian or a Muslim or a Scientologist, he was a JEW who celebrated every Jewish Tradition and through him brought the entire world a chance to be reconciled with GOD Almighty.

[Suzy Quzy]

The Menorrah has the same religiousity as the Crucifix or the Manger Scene. The Christmas tree has NO Christianity involved.....when a Manger scene is put up, then the Menorrah goes up.

[SFC Chromey]

Gaza= West Bank, my bad!

[Alouette]

Thanks very much for posting Medved's article.

even at unlikely sites like Red Square in Moscow.

Very proud to say my son is a participant in that event!

[Adder]

Not at all...as you said, they were "holiday trees"...just any old tree with lights. Could be celebrating the return of Aeneas from Hades.

Doesn't matter that its winkwinknudgenudge Christmas doncha know. That is not what they were called by the people who put them there.


A mennorah, on the other hand, is a religious symbol.

So HAD they put up the mennorah, they could have been beseiged by agreived Christians to put up, say, a creche or some obvious symbol of CHRISTIANITY.

The good rabbi does not get to dictate that the trees were in fact religious symbols then demand that his religion be accomodated.

[This is the stupidest argument that happens every year. ALL folks should just stfu for 30days and let folks...all folks put up what they want where they want.]

[NTegraT]

"I am devastated, shocked and appalled at the decision that the Port of Seattle came to,"

Shocked? Good grief, you threatened to sue. Words and actions mean things. And the first thing a responsible person learns is that when you threaten something, you should be ready to have to live with the results of your threat.

[norton]

"What we have are holiday trees," she said. "If we are going to display symbols representing other cultures, we have to think what that means and what's respectful and what would make a good display. Maybe it would be 'Holidays of the World.'"

Wasn't it someone on FOX who said "if one is a holiday tree, the other is a candle holder"?

(Just using the words 'holidays of the world' set the dreaded 'It's a small world..." disney song going through my brain - that's usually good for about ten hours of torture.)

[TaraP]

You are SOOOOOO Correct!

The Christmas Tree does not signal anything Christian HOWEVER the Menorah does, and heaven's forbid we offend the Secular world!

[BluH2o]

Curious ... has 'Kwanzaa' come up with a symbol yet?

[Steve_Seattle]

"The only references to 'decorated trees' in the Bible were pagan rites."

I'm not Jewish, but I think the Feast of Booths (Sukkot)traditionally uses fruit and foliage to decorate the booths. And the temple at the time of Jesus was the site of innumerable animal sacrifices, which many Christians would regard as pagan if it were still going on today. And some Christian fundamentalists prohibit alcohol even though Jesus drank wine.

[the OlLine Rebel]

I can't believe this many people are that kind of upset. I don't like the vitriol being spewed the rabbi's way.

His intention was not to eliminate the trees, but to add his Jewish symbolism.

I don't think you should apologize for what is ultimately the airport's decision. The rabbi didn't intend such.

I hope you won't think too ill of Christians thanks to the over-reaction to this.

[beaversmom]

You're welcome TX. I was actually looking for another post by Medved and came across this one.

I remembered the story was being reported by the MSM

We'll just have to do a Paul Harvey on them i.e. "the rest of the story."