by Rabbi David Woznica
This is among my favorite times of the year. I enjoy Christmas songs from Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Burl Ives and Mariah Carey, the colorful lights enveloping neighborhood homes, and even the tumult at shopping malls. How nice to see people purchasing presents for those they love.
It is a season of generosity. More than any other period of the year, we hear stories of gifts collected at police and fire stations to be given to less fortunate children. And it is both festive and good to hear the Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells alongside their red kettles.
Imagine being a Christian in Israel during Sukkot or Hannukah. While you wouldn’tobserve it as a religious holiday, you would likely enjoy the celebratory atmosphere. The same can be said for us Jews at Christmas. While we don’t observe the holiday, we cancertainly enjoy the celebratory atmosphere that’s associated with it.
There’s an important lesson to be learned from this. The more secure Jews are in their faith, the more likely they are to want Christians to celebrate their faith. So when our children learn about, experience and observe Judaism, we are shaping them to grow into adults who are comfortable with people of other beliefs and practices.
That’s why we can comfortably say “Merry Christmas.” It comes with the hope that it will be a happy and meaningful holiday to all our Christian friends.
Shabbat Shalom.