Other items in today’s column include:
*Thanking first responders
*Political bytes
*Coming our way
*Mazel tov! Mazel tov!
SAN DIEGO – Tom and Debbie Farley have behind their home in neighboring Poway a 78-foot high pole that during the Christmas season becomes the tree trunk of a Christmas display of lights. This year, the lights are blue, teal, and white – the colors of Chanukah in tribute to Poway of Chabad, which last Passover suffered a gunman’s murderous attack that took the life of Lori Gilbert-Kaye, and wounded Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, Noya Dahan, 8, and her uncle Almog Peretz.
Farley, a Catholic, said he decided right after the shooting that he would fashion a Christmas tribute to the synagogue. “After seeing the news and seeing the town come together (after), I knew I was going to do it,” he told reporter Emily Sorensen of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I watched one terrible day turn into a bunch of people coming together. There are a lot of good people out there.”
I personally appreciate the Farleys’ wonderful gesture, even though I know that it will complicate the “December dilemma” debate about so-called “Chanukah bushes” against which many rabbis feel compelled to inveigh every year.
The December dilemma refers to the difficulty Jews have maintaining their identity and their religious practice in the face of constant Christmas music, Christmas plays, Christmas television specials, Christmas advertising, Christmas sales, and Christmas greetings that characterize every December. Jewish children, especially, faced with such a barrage, often feel left out, and it is not unusual for some to ask their parents, “Why can’t we have a Christmas tree too?” or “Why can’t we hang our stockings for Santa?”
In some cases, Jewish parents have tried to humor their children by buying Christmas trees and relabeling them as “Chanukah bushes.” But, in reality, the Christmas trees have nothing to do with Chanukah, and appropriating them for a Jewish holiday does a disservice to the traditions of both religions. For many religious Christians, the Christmas tree symbolizes “the everlasting life of Jesus Christ;” the crucifix upon which he died being often referred to as a “tree.”
Over the years in America and in other countries with large Christian majorities, Jews have tried to amplify the Chanukah holiday — “Imagine, we have eight days of presents!” – in an effort to persuade their children that they’re not being left out, they’re just having a different kind of celebration.
So, here we have a different situation, a Christian, in an act of kindness and compassion, dedicating his colossal Christmas display to comforting his Jewish neighbors. To some, this may seem to be the mother of all Chanukah bushes, but in fact, it is not. This is not an attempt to conflate one religion with another. It’s a wonderful gesture, in keeping with a principal Christmas theme: “Joy to the World.” Next year, one assumes, the tree will revert to its more traditional multi-colored display of lights.
I think it’s wonderful when one religion offers friendly greetings or tributes to another. For example, there are evangelical, restoration churches in the Latino community that teach their children Hebrew songs and celebrate Jewish holidays as part of their Christian faith. Their members are sincerely good friends of the Jewish people.
On the other hand, there are so-called “messianic Jewish” congregations, who preach that their belief in the divinity of Jesus is the fulfillment of biblical Judaism, and that rather than being Christians, they are “fulfilled” Jews. As far as the organized Jewish community is concerned, the movement is a harmful extension of the various missionary movements of the past that aimed to convert Jews to Christianity. The difference is that by mislabeling themselves as Jews, the “rabbis” of this Christian movement are able to confuse people with Jewish roots but without Jewish knowledge.
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Thanking first responders
Tifereth Israel Synagogue is collecting food stuffs for thank-you packages honoring firefighters, police officers, and hospital emergency room workers for their dedication throughout the year. It plans to make up baskets filled with such items as cookies, cakes, candies, chips, juices, sparkling waters, soda, tea, coffee, Gatorade, fruits, nuts, crackers and cheese. The synagogue intends to distribute the gift baskets on Tuesday, Dec. 24.
Political bytes
*Cory Briggs, a candidate for San Diego City Attorney, has been endorsed by the Save San Diego Neigbhorhoods organization. The group’s chair says Briggs “understands the negative impact short-term rentals have on San Diego’s housing supply and the detrimental impact [incumbent] Mara Elliott’s failure and refusal to enforce the law has had on San Diego residents.”
*San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry has been endorsed for mayor by former Councilwoman Donna Fry. Voice of San Diego reports: “Frye said officials need to listen more to local communities on questions of building heights, parking requirements, housing density and more. She does, however, disagree with Bry and the other Democratic candidates on one major initiative. They’re all supportive of a hotel-tax increase to expand the Convention Center and create homelessness funding. Frye isn’t.”
*Times of San Diego reports that the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has endorsed both Democrats and Republicans in the upcoming March 3 primary elections. On the Democratic side, the chamber gave its nod to Assemblyman Todd Gloria for mayor of San Diego; Congressman Scott Peters and State Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins, both for reelection; and Chris Olson, a city budget analyst, for San Diego City Council District 3. On the Republican side, the chamber has selected Joe Leventhal in San Diego City Council District 5, and restaurateur Noli Zosa for City Council District 7. It also has endorsed the San Diego ballot issue to fund the convention center; opposed the county’s Measure A to require a countywide vote on any project adding 6 more units than permitted by current zoning, and approved a measure permitting construction of the Newland Sierra housing development near Escondido.
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Coming our way
*Rabbi Eli Rubin, a researcher, scholar, and editor at Chabad.org, will discuss the social and intellectual history of Chabad Chassidism at 7 p.m., tonight (Monday, Dec. 16) at Chabad of Scripps Ranch, 10758 Pomerado Road, San Diego.
*A special celebration for preschoolers will precede 6 p.m. Erev Shabbat services, Friday, Dec. 20 at Temple Emanu-El, 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego.
*Temple Emanu-El celebrates Chanukah with a 6 p.m. service, including a band, choir, and Torah School Chanukah Play, at 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego. Latkes and sufganiyot will follow at a Chanukah Hootenanny.
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Mazal tov! Mazal tov!
*Allie Glovinsky and Sophie Rasin will celebrate their b’not mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 21 at Temple Emanu-El.
*Jordanian-born Hasan Ikhrata, director of the San Diego Association of Governments, has been selected by Voice of San Diego as its “voice of the year,” with other top picks including Jewish community members City Councilwoman Barbara Bry and Chabad of Poway Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. The voice of the year awards go to people who were major influences on San Diego’s civic conversation.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com