Israeli Rabbi Warns Jews of Christmas

By LAURIE COPANS Dec 24, 4:25 PM (ET)

JERUSALEM (AP) - Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau on Tuesday urged Jews in
Israel not to celebrate Christmas or New Year's Day, warning that such
observances threaten the identity of the Jewish state.

Lau encouraged Christian Israeli Arabs, foreign workers and immigrants
to mark the holidays. But he said Jewish families should not "be swept
into keeping a way of life that is not their own, while obliterating
and losing their self-respect."

In recent years, small numbers of Israeli Jews have begun celebrating
Christmas, putting up lights in shops and even trees in homes. The
trend began with the influx of thousands of Christians - many of them
married to Jews - in the early 1990s as part of a wave of immigration
from the former Soviet Union.

At the same time, New Year's Eve has become a major party night at Tel
Aviv hotels, despite threats by local rabbis to punish the
establishments by removing their approval to serve kosher food.

Interest in Christmas has grown since fighting with the Palestinians
broke out two years ago and Christian foreign workers replaced their
Palestinian counterparts in jobs. Israel has also undergone a type of
cultural globalization - expressed in a desire among many Israelis to
take part in what they view as a world holiday.

Such expressions grate on the nerves of many Israeli Jews,
particularly Lau.

"Why should we have anything to do with Christmas or New Year's Eve,
in the shade of the Christmas tree?" Lau asked in a statement issued
on Christmas Eve.

"We never imagined that even in our independent country of the Jewish
nation, foreign cultures would threaten our identity as a people and a
nation."

At Mike's Place in Jerusalem's center, American-Israeli bartender Dave
Sussman put up blue and white lights, red and silver tinsel and a
plastic Christmas tree. For the 25-year-old Jew from Boston, Mass.,
the holiday is just a reason to have fun, but he said he has heard
many complaints from religious Jews passing by.

On Christmas Eve, Sussman found himself serving beers to two Orthodox
Jews who didn't like the decor.

"There's nothing fun about this," said one of the men, an
American-Israeli from North Miami Beach, Fla., who would give only his
first name - Zvi. "It bothers me a little bit that Jews like to do
this."

"It's the lights, dude," Sussman retorted, adjusting his baseball cap.
"I stare at these lights at least four hours a day!"

Tel Aviv, a more secular city than Jerusalem, demonstrates much more
Christmas cheer. The Tel Aviv branch of Mike's Place goes all out for
the holiday, with a big party and Turkey dinner. Both bars expect to
be packed for New Year's Eve.

This week Israeli radio stations have occasionally played Christmas
songs like "Jingle Bells" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas."
Israel's national radio station even played "Silent Night," a carol
about the birth of the baby Jesus.

Lau warned that such habits could bring about assimilation between
Jews and Christians.

Quoting from Psalms 106:35, Lau said; "They mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs. They worshipped their idols, which became a
snare to them."

According to Israeli government statistics, 142,000 Christians live in
Israel, including 115,000 Christian Arabs. The figures do not include
the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

************************************************** *******

Serge you're supposed to wrap yourself in tefillin not tinsel! Oy fucking vey!

seriously though, what do the Jewish webmasters think about this? I was raised in a small city with not many Jews so Christmas was a big deal, i celebrated it with neighbors and did the Christmas plays and choirs etc in school BUT my parents didn't have a tree or lights or anything like that.

mutt,
there is an old Russian expression:
when you live with the wolves,
you "auuuuuuuuuuuu" like a wolf
;-)))

We celebrate Xmass and incorporate ALL heritages in it
;-))))

we had Italian Christmas dinner yesterday
(Christian)
had no gifts today
(Jewish)
got congrats call from in laws
(Christian)
I worked today in the garden
(Jewish)
Almost made it to the mass yesterday
(Chrisitian)
got fershtukken and went to bed instead
(Russian)
we are having Israelies today for Xmass day dinner
(Christian, Jewish, Russian)

I think we covered all basis and guaranteed a good place in one of the Heavens
;-))))



Last edited by Serge_Oprano at Dec 25 2002, 01:45 PM

Serge, I thought you were agnostic since you are evil

Meni,
Chris is Evil,
I am not...
;-)

i'm going to the big traditional Christmas dinner in a couple hours, i like it.
but i will do something Jewish when i am there, i will mock them for the price they paid for their gifts when they could have got them wholesale.

maybe i will also complain that they didn't make enough food or have enough alcohol.

this is a big deal with yenta Jewish women, they like to think that the goyim don't know how to 'entertain' the right way.

meni, greeks celebrate Christmas on another day i think right? Like in January or something. Maybe i'm getting my ethnic groups mixed up, I know i have Polish friend who celebrates it later.

Mutt I think you are thinking of Easter, I guess we follow some old calendar
so we celebrate it 1 month later or so 3 out of 4 years.
I think, ask Serge, he knows everything
:cdance:

and Serge, it's Semi Evil Chris, Quasi Evil Chris...
he's a teddy bear

yes, Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Xmas around 14th-15th of January,
based on old Gregorian Calendar

Everybody is a teddy bear with proper amount of alcohol and lube
;-)))

You sure Serge?
Hell my parents are in Greece anyway
Serge wanna go with me in Spring to see them
I've never been
You can be my gay lover
how romantic
the greek isles, me and serge, and safe sex

Meni,

you might want to define safe sex. I hear with Serge,
NOTHING is safe.

:nyanya:

oh safe sex with serge? I masturbate while he yells at me in Russian about his horrible past

Meni, we are going to Greece and Italy in May...
I've been in Greece, but never fucked you in the ass with no lube,
I guess it will the FIRST time experience for both of us..
Greece for you, your ass fro me
;-)))

Christian Jews. File that under "Pissing off Muslims 101"