If only Irving Berlin
had written a song about Hanukah instead of about Xmas we’d (meaning Berlin,
Bronsteen and all other Jews) have a holiday that could compete with the
magical season of Christmas. After all during Hanukah children receive seven
days of presents to only one for their Christian friends.
The only reason I
mention this is that I’ve always loved Christmas - - - the lights, the trees,
the music, and the spirit - - - but I have had to celebrate sub rosa, because
to most Jewish people it is considered heretical to have a Christmas tree.
Christmas doesn’t have one bit of religious significance to me; after all I’m
an atheist. I’m proud to be a Jew and of my heritage, but as a non-believer in
any God, Christmas is not of religious significance to me.
As a child our family
celebrated Christmas (meaning the children received presents) but without a
tree (my grandparents were orthodox). My parents were not religious, and the
only reason I was bar mitzvahed was to please the grandparents. I haven’t been
in a synagogue since except to attend weddings and bar mitzvahs. Almost all of
my friends are observant (either part time or full time). We did have a tree in
our apartment in NYC, where living is anonymous.
Which brings me, after
a lengthy introduction, to the reason I’m writing this Blog. Judy just brought
home a foot-high Xmas tree for me (our first tree in the twenty years
we’ve lived in Florida). She bedecked it with lights and ornaments because she
knows how much I enjoy the smell and sight of this wondrous, but non-religious icon
(to me and us). I often turn up the speaker as Nat King Cole’s melodious voice
echoes through my halls. BUT WE “CAN’T” HAVE A FULL-SIZED XMAS TREE, because we
live in a community of almost all Jewish people and many, most, or all of them
would think it sacrilegious and would be repulsed by the sight of this “Christian
icon.”
If you drove through most
of the communities in Boca Raton at night you might spy one or two bedecked
with lighted figures and trees in each one. Surprisingly enough (and happily
for me) the Clubhouses of most communities are embellished with Xmas trees,
extensive lighting of the entranceways (strings of white lights) and a
gingerbread house along with Hanukah candles.
Do you know what a dradle is? It’s
a four-sided spinning top that is generally used by Jewish children at Hanukah
in a sort of gambling game played for candy, nuts etc. Its origin stems from
the time when the Greeks forbade reading the Torah. To circumvent (not
circumcise) this prohibition Jews would gather in caves to study and when
soldiers were spotted the Torah was hidden and out came the dradle so the
Greeks thought the Jews were gambling not studying. (Perhaps if the Greeks had
let the Jews study the Torah and get involved in the finances of their country
they wouldn’t be in the trouble they are today.)
But back to the
dradle. We’re having a group of friends over for lunch this Sunday. I wonder if
we’ll keep it out or hide it. I don’t have a dradle. Stay tuned.
Speaking of “staying
tuned”, Black Friday is the day I switch from the Country Western Music station
I listen to as I am writing to a Christmas Holiday Music station which plays popular
old favorites.
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| Here's a snapshot of my beautiful tree perched precariously on my printer in the corner of a room I use as my office. |
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