Our Town Fires First in War on Christmas

Or does it?


If you're a fan of Bill O'Reilly, you might have heard the 'culture warrior' rail on last week about the city in Colorado that has fired the 'first salvo' in this year's 'War on Christmas.'

Well, that little town in my town, and what you've been hearing on the news and reading on the Web just isn't true -- there is no War on Christmas here, and the media has gotten it all wrong.

The quick background -- In 2005 our local Chabad Rabbi went to the City of Fort Collins and asked to be allowed to display a Menorah somewhere in our downtown area. The request was ultimately denied based on a City regulation prohibitied 'unattended' displays. The Rabbi eventually displayed the menorah just off our Old Town Square, on the patio of a private business. A lighting ceremony was held, and unfortunately a blizzard dumped 3 feet of snow the day before the ceremony, turning what might have been a huge even into a freezing, cozy event for about 50.

Fast forward to 2006 -- Repeat scenario above. Rabbi once again makes request to be allowed to display menorah and is denied and once again has a lighting ceremony on city property. The debate heats up in the Jewish community, though, when our synagogue's president makes a controversial and misunderstood statement to the City Council in which he says "we are willing to sacrifice the menorah," in order to maintain the separation of church and state. The headline the next day declared, "(Local Jews Oppose Menorah)" Members of all sorts of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations battle it out in the Soapbox and Opinion sections of the local newspaper.

Also in 2006, a Chabad Rabbi in Seattle requests that a menorah be put up at the SeaTac airport. Instead of just saying 'yes,' the airport administration decrees that all the Christmas decorations must be taken down immediately. (http:Seattle Times)
(Fox News)

So the City of Fort Collins decided to be proactive. They formed a Holiday Display Task Force that was to meet over the summer nad make a recommendation to the City Council this month, which they did, and now the fuss has started all over again.

The fifteen member task force included representatives from our congregation, another local Jewish organization, an ACLU person, ministers and priests from local churches, etc. Interestingly, Chabad did not officially take part, but one of the Jewish members of the organization was unoficially representing them.

I did not attend any of the task force meetings, even though they were open to the public, because they were on the same night as Hebrew School. But I did get an insider's view from our congregation's representative, and she said that the atmosphere was one of cooperation and a desire to do the best possible work they could and that no one's needs ore desires were given authority over anyone else's.

The full text of the recommendation is here: Actual Task Force Recommendations

Immediately upon release of the recommendation, the media ran the story that the Task Force recommended "no Christmas trees" and "only white lights" be allowed on city proper. (Coloradoan Web Site)

Denver papers ran headlines like, (No Christmas Tree, No Christmas Tree) and the story caught the attention of Bill O'Reilly. (O'Reilly Video)

Unfortunately, the original story got it wrong, and the Task Force did NOT recommend the complete non-Christmas-ifiyng of our city displays.

What it said was this:

Christmas trees can be part of the primary, multicultural display at the city Museum. Christmas trees can remain in city buildings, and it would be up to those building managers to design the displays.

Colored lights could be part of the display at the museum. The lights in the downtown area have always been white -- the trees that line the square look magnificent -- and that would not change. Colored lights would be allowed in city buildings -- again, the city manager decides.

The main thrust of the Task Force document was a request for sensitivity to the diversity of Fort Collins.

But you'd never know that by reading the papers or watching Fox News.

And now there's a pretty ugly subtext starting to emerge, both locally and nationally.

The "arrogant minority," and "those who don't celebrate Christmas" are being blamed for "getting rid of Christmas" in Fort Collins. (See O'Reilly link above.)

Let's be honest, we all know who that arrogant minority is.

We all know who doesn't celebrate Christmas.

The evolution of this issue has been educational.

Rabbi request menorah.
City says no.
Rabbi makes minor protest and asks again.
City and Downtown Business Association again say no.
Rabbi finds solution and has menorah hosted by local business.
Minor local uproar.
Repeat.
City forms Task Force to avoid another repeat of controversy.
Task Force recommends inclusive policy.
Major uproar -- blame the Jews.

I wish we could all go back in time. If we could just change "City says no" to "City says yes," it would have bben a nothing issue. A blip. Now we're in the 3rd Chanukkah season of attention focused on the Jewish community in a negative way.

I've had quite enough, and I'm sick of the Jews being blamed every time a government official or City freaks out about holiday displays. The Chabad Rabbi here never mentioned one word about taking down the Christmas Tree or the colored lights. Lots of Jews I know who were previously ambivalent about the menorah are downright rabid about putting one up now. It's polarizing, and I can't see anything positive coming from it.

To the Bil O'reilly's of the world: Get over it -- there is no War on Christmas, and if there is, the Jews aren't behind it. As if we could ever get together enough to agree to have a War on Christmas.

Can we declare war on the war on Christmas? That's a cause I'd support.

For a nice roundup of stories (true and false) about this story, click here: Google Search Results

Bible Says: Don't Cut Your Hair? Say What?

Detroit News

DETROIT -- A 14-year-old student who was suspended from Old Redford Academy for keeping his hair long to uphold his religious beliefs will return to school, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today.

The school's board of directors decided last night to grant Claudius Benson, a freshman at Old Redford Academy, a religious accommodation to the school's dress code, the ACLU announced on its Web site.

School officials couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

"We're encouraged that Old Redford Academy has made the right decision,"
said Mark Fancher, the attorney who argued the case for the ACLU. "It is our
hope that the school has recognized that no public institution or school
administrator can decide what is or is not an appropriate religious belief."

Claudius was enrolled in Old Redford for three days before being
expelled on Sept. 6 for violating the school's dress code requiring "closely
cropped hair."

The school requires that boys wear black blazers, white shirts, ties, and "close cropped hair," with no braids, twists, or dreadlocks.

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan won a temporary victory when Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen MacDonald ruled the boy can return to school with his hair pulled in an Afro puff pending an evidentiary hearing to evaluate the sincerity of his religious beliefs.

Alecha Benson said her family practices their own interpretation of old Jewish Law, and that the religion mandates Old Testament-length hair.

"I am just happy to be in school," Claudius said in a released statement.

Ok scholars -- what verse could this kid possibly be referring to? What the heck is 'old testament length' hair??

I think the decision is a reasonable one -- would you want a school telling you kid to cut his peyot? But seriously, which law is this family following?

Parsha Intentions

Simchat Torah is so full of promise, but it's really like the New Year's Eve of Judaism. Resolution: This year I will read every parsha of the week on time! This year I will make diligent notes, study things I don't understand, look up references in the commentaries and blog about it all.

Yeah, right.

I feel like a dieter eating a package of donuts at 7:45 a.m. on January 1, or the smoker who makes the resolution at 11:59 and lights up at 12:01 a.m.

Blew it again.

But if we learn one thing over the High Holidays, it's that God is all about second chances. (No? There was more to learn?)

So here's my parsha summary so far:

God created everything -- men and women, too (twice, actually). God gave people one rule to follow. People failed to follow one rule and were punished. Lots more people were born. Lots of those people were wicked, bad people, and apparently they had no rules to follow, so I'm not sure how 'bad' is defined here. One guy, he was not so bad. God said: build a ship. Noah built said ship, saved his family (sorry, everyone else) and a bunch of animals, including 7 pairs of all the yummy ones. Ship lands, Noah forgets to be so good and gets wasted. Lots more people born. God tells Avram, "You, go!" Avram packs up and goes. Avram meets Pharoah and offers Sarai: "Dude, she's, like, my sister!" Sarai and Avram escape. Ishmael is born and Avram gets a hey. Hey, Avraham! Self-circumcision (youch) followed by the news that he will have to use his newly shorn wee-wee to get his wife pregnant (double youch!)

Everyone caught up now?

:)

6 year old on God -- Part I

This was my son's comment at the Shabbat Table: "Do you know why we wear a kippah? Because God is in the kippah, and when you put in on your head, you put God on your head so you can't forget Him"

I kvell.

Poll: Halloween

Any fellow Jews out there celebrate Halloween? I have a specific reason for asking this year, unlike in past years when it was just seasonal.

Our religious school meets from 6:00 - 8:00 on Wednesday evenings. This year, Halloween is on a Wednesday. We live in a highly assimilated area with a very low population of Jews, and the rallying cry from parents and teachers is to cancel Hebrew School for the night. The rabbi is standing firm that we will not shutter the place for Halloween. I'm anticipating conflict, contention, resentment and the inevitable mumbling and grumbling behind every one's back.

So, what's your synagogue do?

(I'm assuming if you call it a shul, it doesn't matter when Halloween is!)

Be sure to vote in the poll ------------------------------->

Ann Coulter is Running off at the Mouth Again

So I hop on to Dovbear tonight to find out that Ann Coulter is indeed still on TV. Why is beyond me, but I figured this was the perfect time to ask my Christian friends over at CafeMom for their opinions. She did, after all, claim to speak for all Chrsitians.

Here's what I posted on the CM site:

So, Christian friends, she claims to be speaking for all of you in her comments? Is she?During the October 8 edition of CNBC's The Big Idea,host Donny Deutsch asked right-wing pundit Ann Coulter: "If you had your way ... and your dreams, which are genuine, came true ... what would this country look like?" Coulter responded, "It would look like New York City during the [2004] Republican National Convention. In fact, that's what I think heaven is going to look like." She described the convention as follows: "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America." Deutsch then asked, "It would be better if we were all Christian?" to which Coulter responded, "Yes." Later in the discussion, Deutsch said to her: "[Y]ou said we should throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians," and Coulter again replied, "Yes." When pressed by Deutsch regarding whether she wanted to be like "the head of Iran" and "wipe Israel off the Earth," Coulter stated: "No, we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say. ... That's what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws."

After a commercial break, Deutsch said that "Ann said she wanted to explain her last comment," and asked her, "So you don't think that was offensive?" Coulter responded: "No. I'm sorry. It is not intended to be. I don't think you should take it that way, but that is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews. We believe the Old Testament. As you know from the Old Testament, God was constantly getting fed up with humans for not being able to live up to all the laws. What Christians believe -- this is just a statement of what the New Testament is -- is that that's why Christ came and died for our sins. Christians believe the Old Testament. You don't believe our testament." Coulter later said: "We consider ourselves perfected Christians. For me to say that for you to become a Christian is to become a perfected Christian is not offensive at all."

You can read more and see video here: http://mediamatters.org/items/200710100008

And here are the 5 responses so far:

wow, i don't even know what to say to that. i grew up christian and trust me, i
never once thought i was a "perfected jew"! i've never heard anything like that!

The words ANN COULTER are like nails on a chalk board to me. She CERTIANLY
doesn't speak for this Christian.

Nobody speaks for me but me. Oh, and it has NEVER come across my mind that I am
a perfected Jew.

She doesn't speak for this Christian!!!

I'm assuming this is the same Ann Coulter who thinks that the women's right to
vote should be revoked? She told the New York Observer that "if we took
away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat
president." She also feels that Republican women wouldn't mind having the
right to vote revoked because "our girls won't protest, they'll take a hit for
the cause." The woman is an absolute nut! She shouldn't be allowed
to speak!

Looks like Ann Coulter might be queen of an all-new Christianity with her as the one follower... More tomorrow when everyone out east wakes up ;)

Religious Debate

I have a new online obsession -- debating with Christians. I joined a site for moms, www.cafemom.com, and managed to get myself hooked into several religious debate forums. Sometimes it's enlightening. More often it's a little horrifying, listening to what so many 'mainstream' moms ascribe to religiously. Most of the time I definitely feel like I'm the smartest person in the room, and there's nothing as addictive as a good ego boost. There are a couple of other Jewish women who hang out in these forums. One is definitely more observant than I am but tends to be quiet and keep out of the battlefield debates. The others have said they are 'non-religious' or 'cultural' Jews. Sometimes it's not very helpful to have their input: "It's OK for Jews to have a Christmas tree -- We had one!")

As this blog gets ramped up again, I anticipate pulling a lot of my material from my life on those discussion boards.

But I've been wondering lately. Should I really be doing this, engaging in back and forth about the validity of Christianity with believing Christians? No one is going to have her mind changed. No one is going to read what I write and say, "You know what? You're right! No one ever demanded a human sacrifice for salvation or Messiah!"

How much of my time and brain power should I be spending on this endeavor anyway?

If I can get this blog up an running again -- with the tons of links I used to have -- maybe I'll throw some of the debate topics out here and I'll incorporate (steal) your ideas on the topics.

Believe it or not, we're debating now on whether or not the Jews killed Jesus. The debate is interesting. Only a couple of people said that yes, the Jews killed Jesus and we're still paying for it. Some said that no one killed Jesus but God himself, who is Jesus himself, I suppose. Very few people laid the blame at the feet of the Romans.

I had no idea this was still a topic for debate.

I'm Back

I've missed you. I've missed the sense of community that developed from this blog. I had regular readers. I had people who regularly pushed my buttons and pushed me to defend my positions in the comment section. I had people with whom I developed net relationships outside of this little blog page. I wrote, and I was read.

So I'm back.

It seemed the perfect time. Today is Shemini Atzeret -- the holiday I still know less than nothing about. Tonight is Simchat Torah, when we start over from the beginning.

I will write about personal struggles here. I will not be writing about people I know or my rabbi or the particular Jewish community in which I work and live. That was a minefield last time and I have no interest in negotiating it again.

I might make things up on occasion to make a point. Maybe I'll find a talent at composing parables or allegories.

I've missed you. So I'm back.

Chag Sameach!

Menorah Link-O-Rama

If you're at all interested in what happens when a small city in Northern Colorado lights a giant menorah publically for the first time, follow any one of these links. I've commented in other posts about my feelings about public religious displays (I'm against them), so I'm not going to repeat myself here. I was out of town when the lighting occured, but I would have attended (also dicusssed that reasoning in earlier posts).

Click away:

Coloradoan front page
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/NEWS01/512290303/1002

Channel 4 CBS
http://cbs4denver.com/politics/local_story_362104635.html

Channel 9
http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=7486f7b8-0abe-421a-0022-906a4da8a03c&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

Channel 7 ABC
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/5716946/detail.html


Loveland Paper
http://www.lovelandfyi.com/region-story.asp?ID=3412

Coloradoan front page article on Public Menorah issue _thursday.
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051222/NEWS01/512220301/1002
Coloradoan -front page article -Friday:
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051223/NEWS01/512230308/1002

editorial
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051223/OPINION01/512230318/1014/OPINION

Coloradoan –front page Saturday paper
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051224/NEWS01/512240304/1002
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Letter to Ed
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051228/OPINION03/512280311&SearchID=73231242695631

TV CBS Channel 4 news –Friday -video
http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_357213332.html

Coloradoan- editorial Sunday
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051225/OPINION01/512250329/1014

Rocky Mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4346049,00.html

Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3348829

Coloradoan editorial and Mayor’s letter
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051228/OPINION04/512280306/1014
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051228/OPINION03/512280310/1014


Cheyenne
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/features/4/2131327.html

Coloradoan – former Mayor’s letter
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051230/OPINION04/512300309/1014

Menorah Makes the News

Denver is a fairly big city. It boasts a population of a few million -- the biggest city in what we here like to call the "big square states." There are four local TV stations, all with evening news broadcasts. One of those vening broadcasts on Friday featured as its Top Story the controversy surrounding the Giant Menorah that the Chabad Center wants to erect in our fairy city. I realize that by linking to these stories reveals the city in which I live -- that's OK, it's been almost revealed before, and I'm not trying to hide anything with this blog. I do ask that you treat this information respectfully. (You may want to re-read the post linked at hte top right of this page, "To the Good People of My Synagogue").

A link to the TV story: Channel 4 News
(They couldn't quite pronounce the rabbi's first name right, but otherwise, the story is pretty decent. And yes, that's a Crown Heights/Australian accent you hear!)

A link to a front page story from the Sunday newspaper: Sunday Coloradoan

An editorial in the newspaper, supportive of the menorah: Coloradoan Editorial


As I mentioned in an earler post, my preference is to keep all "holiday" displays secular. Pretty lights on the trees, sure, but no wreaths. I realize this is an impossible request. Which lights are secular lights? All white lights? Red and green lights? Blue and white lights?

If, however, the City chooses to diaplay a Christmas tree for weeks during November and December, it should also display a menorah. And perhaps a Kwanzaa candleholder. And a symbol of the end of Ramadan, when it coincides. And a statue of Ganesh, the Hindu god. (See where the slope gets slippery?)

An interesting point: The Supreme Court decision regarding this issue makes it OK to display both Christmas Trees and Menorahs on public property because they are "secular" symbols. Raise your hands, Jews, if you want the menorah to be a "secular" symbol. Personally, I'd rather it remain a Jewish religious symbol. But no one asked me.

Chag Sameach Chanukah!

Giant Menorah Follow-Up

Note: all information is taken directly from an article in our fair city's newspaper. All names have been changed to protect whatever smidgen of anonymity I have left. Only the names have been changed. Everything left is direct quotation from the article.


"Hanukkah lasts eight nights, but just how long a menorah will light up Our City next week is uncertain.
A public menorah lighting will take place Wednesday as part of a Hanukkah celebration hosted by the Chabad Center. As of now, the menorah must be packed up and taken away after the ceremony is over.

Issues surrounding a prolonged presence of a menorah and its placement in City Square was outlined in a letter from the City Attorney Steve dated Dec. 16 and sent to Chabad Center's director. The Chabad rabbi had asked that a menorah be included in the city's holiday display in the plaza or that the city permit the private placement of a menorah in another location on city-owned property.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that menorahs and Christmas trees are secular symbols.
A lighted Christmas tree is part of the city's plaza holiday display.
The Downtown Authority, which operates City Square on behalf of the business owners adjacent to the square, denied the rabbi's request to keep the menorah in place following the conclusion of Wednesday's ceremony.
The Mayor, who will join the lighting ceremony Wednesday, said allowing the addition of a menorah to the city's holiday display would open the door to including other interests in the display, which would not be a proper use of public space.
"The main reason is to avoid a proliferation," the Mayor said, noting the city's desire to maintain a "plain, simple display."
"If you open it up to one other addition, you open it up to everything," the Mayor said.
The sitting City Council has not reviewed policies that cover holiday displays, but the Mayor said he would be open to a council discussion about the topic.
The Chabad rabbi said he doesn't think the city is biased toward other holiday symbols but that it has erred by not including the menorah in its holiday display or allowing it to be placed elsewhere on city property for more than just a lighting ceremony.
"They've made a decision that I don't agree with, because I don't believe the policy represents diversity and tolerance," the rabbi said.
He said he is committed to resolving the matter with the city in a cordial, nonconfrontational manner.
There are more than 11,000 menorahs on public display throughout the United States, the rabbi said, including one he was allowed to place inside the mall.
The City Manager denied Chabad's request to include a menorah display based on a court ruling and an existing city policy.
A 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision made in 2001 gives city governments control over the components of its holiday displays.
Allowing any private organization to place a menorah elsewhere on public property was denied because of a city policy that prevents "unattended signs or displays" on public property, except for newspaper stands. The policy addresses aesthetic and safety issues.
The executive director of the DA, said the decision to have the menorah removed after the ceremony was based on advice from the organization's attorney. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the public lighting of the menorah will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah begins on Sunday. "

Giant Menorah Comes to Town

UPDATED:

For the first time in our fair city, a giant (merely big?) menorah will be lit to commemorate the (minor) holiday of Chanukkah.

Disclaimer -- most of what I'm reporting is second or third hand, but no one ever said the standards of journalism apply to blogging!

The menorah (I prefer chanukkiah) in question belongs to the new Chabad center in town, and it will be lit in one of our plazas, right next to the "holiday" tree. A big party will be held during Chanukkah, and there seems to be a good deal of cooperation between our synagogue, the Chabad center and the university Jewish community (which has a fairly active Hillel). The mayor wil be in attendance, as will various other politicos from the city and even the state govt.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to attend. We'll be out of town at the speedskating Olympic Trials cheering on our good friend as he chases his dream. (If we were going to be in town, we would attend. Our non-attendance is logistical, not philosophical...just wanted to make that clear.) A bunch of our good friends will be attending, however, and they're all looking forward to it.

It's interesting that, before Chabad even came here, one of the things people talked about most in relation to them was the "Giant Menorah". There were some worries. After all, Jews have been living a rather quiet, stealthy existence in this city and tend to be uncomfortable about calling attention to ourselves. No one I know has this trepidation, so I can't report on whether or not it's dissipated.

Here's what is important to me: I am not so sure how I feel about the placement of a chanukkiah on city property. I am all for large religious displays, on private property. Erect a 25 ft. chanukkiah in your front lawn if you wish. Coordinate your entire Christmas light display to music. But, should there be a giant chanukkiah on city property? Probably not. Should Santa Claus have a booth on that same city square? Probably not, but he does. The square is also very festively decorated for the "holiday season." You know, the "holiday season" whose colors happen to be red and green. There are lights, garland and wreaths on many of the city's buildings. So why not a channukiah in the city square? Shouldn't we try to balance out the Christian influence with a little Jewish influence? Or, is this the kind of display that encourages the misconception that "Chanukkah is the Jewish Christmas, right?" that I hear more often than I like. Should we instead push for a sukkah on the square, a shofar blowing ceremony in city hall? Are those holidays more representative of Judaism than Chanukkah? Yes, yes. Lots of questions and few answers. I know. It's a tough one. On the one hand, I get frustrated that so few of the stores around here stock basic Chanukkah essentials (dreidels, candles), but on the other, I'd almost rather Chanukkah be ignored than turned into something it isn't -- Christmas.

The best conclusion I can arrive at is this: As long as the lights and the trees and the wreaths and the garland are up and Santa takes requests on his knee in city square, put up the chanukkiah, too. Personally, I vote we take them all down.

p.s. I invite those readers who live in my commnity who know more about this issue to comment and straighten me out on the facts. I spent a good amount of time searching the paper, the city web site and google but found nothing useful. Feel free to remain anonymous.