#jews do not religiously celebrate xmas

[koushirouizumi]

(Further Commentary + from International Interpretations Under the 'read more')

(Yes, I Know. {But} I enjoy it in Hebrew {STILL} too)

"We'll rumage in the pages of the book"-- "Finding out in the world there are stories about bravery and

{ten powers of the soul*}" (Hanefesh)

*{Implying the traits associated with the Sefirot + Zohar and/or aka what was appropriated for Sephirothmon's ""design"".} (Note: This reference is ONLY being linked to INFORM, Specifically about Judaism.)

*Also it was translated as ""Soul elevation"" here but {since there seems to be Kabbalah associations with that word} I really don't think that captures the full meaning...

{Considering this AMV includes 2020 Koushiro...} (And one of those 'powers') Da’at ("Knowledge"),

Only in the knowledge of our own SELVES and the choice to become whatever we desire to become—

{REMINDER: DO NOT REPOST OR RE-PRODUCE MY GIFS WITHOUT PERMISSION} (PLEASE ASK to USE)

Yeah I might make a music edit someday to include this version too, if I can re-time anything needed correctly.

Digimon Adventure (Series) x La Belle et la Bête 2 {Parody} ~ A.M.V. Preview {Unfinished} / [In-Progress] / Work-in-Progress: ~ “L’Histoires” [“Stories”] + Duo/Ship/O.T.P: Koushiro{u} Izumi x Taichi Yagami {KouTai}/{Taishiro} + Friendships/(Platonic) Supporting: Koushiro & Tentomon line; Koushiro & Izumis; Koushiro & Chosen (briefly)

Digimon Adventure & related Series © Toei Animation La Belle et la Bête / Beauty and the Beast 2 © Disney

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Digimon. This is FAN-MADE. No $$$ is being made off this fan-work!

Notes:

This A.M.V. is currently UN-FINISHED. As of now, only the end section is completed. Hopefully you find some enjoyment so far though! This 1st part / intro / opening has taken about 45~ min already.

There are small Koushiro-spoilers from: Digimon Adventure 2020 Ep 14, 59; Tri: Kokuhaku (Kou+Tai moment)

{French Ver.}:

Histoires de héros, qui volent plus haut que les oiseaux, et vous donnent pour toujours l'espoir, d'emporter {la victoire}. Je sais qu'un jour viendra, où il gagnera son combat, dans un monde où il règnera, sa vie changera.

Stories of {HEROES}, who fly higher than [Icarus?] / the birds, and give you hope forever, to win… I {KNOW} that a day will come when (they) {WILL WIN} (their) fight, in A WORLD where (THEY) will reign, (THEIR) LIFE will {CHANGE}…

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[amyisraelchaiforever]

Who's ready for the "I don't celebrate Christmas" three times a day?

Basically, every year when it comes to Christmas, I (fairly conservatist & religious jew, at least for my area) end up answering the question "What are you doing for Xmas" or "what are you most excited for during Xmas?" about 1-2 times a day.

My answers:

I don't celebrate

I'm gonna celebrate Hannukah :) !! (then they say, "hanukkah and xmas? I say 'no'. they don't believe me OR I get a dirty look)

If you know someone is Jewish, stop asking them what they're doing for Xmas! You know they probably aren't, so please, please, please stop, it's so uncomfortable + awkward.

[transmascpetewentz]

so, i'm really curious about this, no judgement either way:

[izzy-b-hands]

What sort of card designs do you do for people who:

-are Jewish but weren't raised within the faith so to speak (messy family history involving jews marrying catholics in an attempt to be safer, that based on my genealogy research did work, but also eradicated any chance of them properly ever like. letting themselves be Jewish or acknowledge it beyond 'yes we are but we also go to Mass so how about you keep your mouth shut about it') so don't celebrate anything re: that

-were raised Catholic but really only kept the guilt, shame, and the sense that a person existing is always doing something Wrong by simple nature of Existing, and don't like. attend Mass anymore or do anything religious beyond fearing that god will punish us further for still being alive

-do celebrate xmas but in a secularish, weird, sort of hostile way, like it's something that Must Be Done but also they lowkey hate the work that goes into it and being around each other for too long, but also get sad if we can't all meet up for it (incredibly confusing and weird emotional energy at past xmas celebrations i tell you what)

...xmas trees maybe? big field of them? a wreath that says 'existence is a curse borne by us all'? ???????????!!!!! idk!!!!!

[strawberryclothing]

I’m Like A Midwest Princess Shirt

Welcome to cleveland Shirt

Most Christian countries have a public holiday on the 25th & 26th. So in 2018, the Welcome to cleveland Shirt went: less tha one day of work, two days off, and two unproductive workdays. Many companies enforced the taking of 4 days annual leave during Christmas week & the following Monday (in Oz we usually get 4 weeks discretionary leave (take it when you want)). Economically, a better idea is to make the secular Xmas on the last Sunday in December, and the following Monday New Years day. Leave the religious aspects to the religionists to commemorate their observances in heir own time. Muslims, Jews, Eastern Orthodox Christians and other religions do so every year successfully, why not Western Christianity? And to keep workers happy where public holidays might be lost, replace them with the Friday before & Monday after the last Sunday in December with public holidays. At at least that way business has two weeks of four contiguous workdays, and people can do something creative with the long weekend (nb: in Oz, January 1st is a public holiday, so that could be replaced by declaring the first Monday in January a public holiday. Thus the workers get two long weekends in a row, and three weeks of just 4 workdays).

Utah Football Cameron Rising 7 Front Stripe Shirt

When different Western European pagan cultures were evangelized to, the Utah Football Cameron Rising 7 Front Stripe Shirt (the traditional Catholic order of missionaries) tried to be mindful of not needlessly erasing new disciples’ culture. These disciples only needed to abandon the sinful parts of their culture, to follow Christ. Unfortunately, some of these parts slipped through, effectively syncretizing Catholicism somewhat with these pagan religions—hence, veneration culture; undue fixation on Mary the mother of Jesus; etc. However, the intent at least was always to keep from putting unnecessary burdens on new disciples’ backs. These evangelizers were looking out for those they were taking under their wing. In that sense, these peoples’ cultures were actually preserved: at least far more than they would have been, were their newly Christian-identifying constituents required to make themselves Hebrew and Greco–Roman. So no, these festivals were not “hijacked.” It is merely that masses of people who had once celebrated them decided not to observe them, or their religions comprising them; and decided to celebrate other things, with the guidance and consideration of their disciplers.

My Hope Is In The Lamb Shirt

If you’re flying out of China before Chinese New Year (“spring festival”) and flying back to China after Chinese New Year, you can probably land yourself a My Hope Is In The Lamb Shirt cheap ticket. The other way around, no (a lot of overseas families travel to China during this time while the vast majority of Chinese nationals travel only domestically during this time). This is roughly similar to the reason why it’s not too difficult to find cheap international journeys from the USA around Thanksgiving, as long as you don’t have domestic segments in your itinerary. Christmas time is likely to be expensive in any direction anywhere unless you fly on the day of Christmas or Christmas Eve, or after western New Year. That said, book your tickets early — it’s always hard to predict these kinds of things and you never know what you’ll actually find out there in terms of tickets; every now and then you might stumble across something cheap especially if you really pay close attention.

Lake County Captains Baseball Shirt

India decided to abrogate the Lake County Captains Baseball Shirt provision of Article 370 in Aug because that’s when the terrorist activity is was highest. They were attacking the military and were planning on attacking pilgrims – as they do every year. To forestall that, the gov removed the temporary provision and merged Kashmir with India as per the original request of the King.Since its Aug, when article 370 was removed, Kashmir has seen an unprecedented level of peace, is riot free and has held local elections without any violence! It has been a boon to those who want to do legitimate business in the state. Terrorists and separatists hate the move, but that is to be expected! They hate peace and refuse to allow the local population to prosper. CAB / CAA helps all religious minorities in afghnistan, bangladesh and pakistan who wish to see asylum in India. Religious minorities who are constantly harangued in pakistan, locked up on false blasphemy charges, abducted, raped and forced to convert, will find it easy now to move to India and seek asylum and get citizenship. Last year, local thugs in pakistan blew up churches just before Christmas. So CAB, which includes Christians, will help them for sure. There is nothing special about it being introduced before Christmas, but I am sure they will be grateful for having this provision.

I’m Like A Midwest Princess Shirt

The first thing you need to understand is the background of the word “jolly.” It has reached the I’m Like A Midwest Princess Shirt now of being purely a noun, meaning a paid-for day out, commonly in your employer’s time. But a jolly? Strange word. Back in the relatively innocent days of the mid-twentieth century, jolly was a round-cheeked, smiling, uncomplicated word. It went with fat, beaming, seaside-postcard ladies, having a cheerful time on the beach or at the funfair, or Enid Blyton schoolgirls having a midnight swim down at the beach, or a midnight feast up on the roof of the jolly old school. It was all very jolly, with never any repercussions, and it was all jolly good. Before that, the word seems to have come from two possible directions, and quite possibly both of them. It may be from the French joli, meaning merrry or joyful, or from the Norse word jól, from which we get Yule, as an old word for Christmas festivities. Put them together and the result is a jolly good word for everyone having a good time. It’s a pity it’s been corrupted into having overtones of something slightly dishonest!

[buryyourdoves]

Writing Jewish Characters (what not to do, according to one jewish gal on discord) (a probably incomplete list):

(For reference, because I say it a few times: goyische = not Jewish, or relating to non-Jewish things/culture/etc)

Preface:

Many of these are things that some Jews do irl for various personal reasons, and that is 1000% valid and fine!! This is in no way dragging any Jew’s life choices whatsoever. When it comes to representation, there is a huge skew in one direction: the Jew-ish, bacon cheeseburger-loving, Xmas-celebrating, modern Jew whose nagging, kvetching Jewish family comes up for a special holiday or life event episode and is never heard from again. The implication is that Jewish traditions don’t fit modern people/society and that a non-Jewish audience can’t connect with a Jewish character who remains close to their cultural roots. All that to say, this piece is all about representation, not necessarily irl accuracy.

Primer:

Jewish characters don’t have to be “religious,” and definitely not in the way you might conceive of a religious Xtian character. But being an irreligious Jew doesn't inherently mean they won't follow any Jewish rituals or holidays. It’s a culture as much as it is a religion, and there are a million reasons an atheist Jew (not an oxymoron!) might follow any of these rituals/rules, including but not limited to cultural heritage, community, and religious family/friends <3

Eating treif (aka never-kosher food like pork and shellfish):

They don’t have to keep kosher (altho that would be a very welcome change just one (1) time ksdjg), just don’t make them actively not kosher. I know it feels super innocuous to talk about Erik Lensherr grabbing a bacon egg and cheese from the bodega, but it sticks out to me every time because it is, in itself, a statement. If that's a statement you want to be making, think about why. What are you trying to add to this Jewish character by giving him bacon, or shrimp, or a cheeseburger, etc etc. And is it something you think is a positive addition, or is the implication just that not eating bacon is silly, or outdated, or only something super duper religious Jews could ever want to do? If so, maybe skip the shrimp. It’s a tiny thing that can really make a big difference.

True bonus points: actively have the character keep a semblance of kosher. A simple, 2-second choice for a character to turn down a bite of their coworker’s pork fried rice because they’re Jewish feels SO NICE to read in an ocean of Jewish characters eating treif.

A lot of media codes Jewish characters by drawing attention to the fact that they’re eating bacon, even though they “shouldn’t.” Very little media codes Jews by having them leave the cheese off their burger.

(And if you do write them eating non-kosher, a friendly reminder that Jews who don’t keep kosher don’t think about how disappointed their mother would be everytime they bite into a piece of bacon. They just eat it lol.)

Interfaith parents/“half-Jews”:

I feel it necessary to reassure with this one in particular that there is nothing wrong with this, and both matrilineal and patrilineal Jews deserve representation. This is common enough irl and if they identify with the Jewish side of their heritage to consider themselves Jewish, that’s great! Variety is the spice of life. Once again, I want to emphasize that I am not making any judgments on irl Jews in any of these complaints.

This is only up for representation discussion because this feels like another trend in media and fandom, where it seems like one parent is Certified Not Jewish™️ almost as an excuse to…have Jewish characters not have to be Jewish except in name. Interfaith families are almost always shown mainly celebrating Xtian holidays, with a tiny nod to Judaism: agiant Xmas tree with a menorah to the side, or an Easter episode with a throwaway mention of Passover (if anything). Mainstream media especially will do either this, or have both parents be Jewish and the main character be such a ~disappointment~ to their parents for being less so, and of course falling into lots of icky stereotypes along the way.

Basically just, don’t not write interfaith characters, but be careful with them. Please don’t use interfaith characters as your reason excuse to let them do the Goyische Stuff, like celebrating Xmas. And speaking of…

Christmas (derogatory):

My opinion on Jewish characters celebrating Xmas, my prayer hands and shameless begging, is just…please don’t do it. I get it, plenty of irl Jews participate in Xmas activities or even celebrate it with their friends and extended families, that’s fine, absolutely no judgment. But without getting into the whole shebang of christian hegemony and the myth of secular Christmas, that’s already EVERYWHERE. Almost every tv show, every movie that has Xmas in it, if there’s a Jewish character, there’s a solid 98% chance they celebrate Xmas too. Maybe even LOVE it. Maybe there’s even a confused goyische friend going, “aren’t you Jewish?” and the Xmas-loving Jew happily informs them why that doesn’t matter, or how actually only their dad is Jewish (and he loves Xmas too so woo!) so they get to do the whole Xmas shebang and maybe have a lil menorah off to the side for the token representation.

Jews who participate in or celebrate Xmas exist, but this is a reminder that those who don’t also exist, and they are not remotely uncommon. And we don’t feel deprived for not having had Xmas, I promise. Go against the grain! For lols you can even have your Jewish character be half clueless about Xmas traditions because he never had them! Ben Grimm who has no idea what a garland is and at this point he’s too afraid to ask. There’s so much you can do with it and have fun with in a way that still keeps your Jewish blorbo unassimilated <3

There Was Only One Jew:

Most content has one (1) Jew and that’s that. It’s almost like there’s a rule that there can only be one (1) Jew per friend group. If you have more than one Jewish character, then slay! More Jews are always welcome, and the more you have, the more leeway there is, imo. It feels less egregious for, e.g., a Jewish character to loooooove shrimp if you’ve got another in the story who’s never touched it in his life and never plans to. (Although, when deciding which characters to do this with, consider making the more observant one your main, instead of relegating them to the background and/or parental characters.)

In Summary…

Thanks for reading!! There’s no one way to write Jewish characters, but I hope this helped give you something to think about! I’m always happy to answer questions if you want to learn more. You can also check out the Jewish and Judaism tags on the Writing With Color blog if you want to hear opinions from other Jews. (Not affiliated, just love their blog, haha!) These are just my thoughts on these things after reading a lot of Jewish characters (canon or headcanoned) in fic. 😊

B’hatzlacha! <3

[invisiblefoxfire]

I’ve seen a lot of great threads about how people need to stop forcing Xmas on everyone in the world and giving people a hard time when they don’t celebrate or want to celebrate it, and generally speaking they tend to focus on Jews not wanting to have Xmas forced on them. And these threads are good and make good points and I don’t want to hijack any of them.

But I’m writing my own post because I think it needs to go further than that. Because I have friends who love Xmas and that’s fine, and I know they won’t be available to hang out with me during this season. So I let them do their thing. But they can’t let me do mine. When I say “I don’t celebrate Xmas” they roll their eyes and try to force me to celebrate anyway. They call me a Grinch and insist I should just enjoy it because “it’s not even really religious”. It’s just a time to celebrate and get together and eat specific foods (most of which I don’t like) and exchange gifts (which I hate doing) and get together with family (which I don’t speak to) and it’s okay if I’m not close to my family, THEY’LL be my family at Xmas!!!

And I’m not Jewish. I’m not religious at all. And my friends use this against me.

They say well, if you were Jewish, or Muslim, or whatever, then you’d have a REASON not to celebrate Xmas. We’d understand then. But you don’t have a REASON. Just because you’re not religious doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate!

Try though I might to say: it’s not that I CAN’T. It’s that I actively DISLIKE this holiday and DO NOT WANT to celebrate it. Please do NOT buy me gifts. I will NOT be buying you gifts and if you insist on buying them for me it will make me feel like dogshit and I will be angry with you.

And they buy me gifts anyway.

Please do NOT play Xmas music in my face or sing those songs. I have a lifetime of bad memories connected to those songs I do NOT wish to hear them.

And they show up at my door to sing, to “get me in the spirit”. They invite me to gatherings insisting they won’t be holiday themed then literally pen me in and refuse to let me get up until I’ve taken part in a group singing of “the 12 days of christmas” (seriously). They make a bunch of xmas food and deliver it to me "so I won't miss out". They remark on how nice it would be to have some pine boughs or something as decorations in my place. they tell me how much i’m upsetting everyone around me by refusing to take part in their traditions.

And for a solid week at minimum, every time we speak, they say “MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!” I roll my eyes in response, and they seem to take it as a challenge to “fix” me and my grumpypants attitude.

I have my reasons not to like Xmas. And I shouldn’t have to explain them. Every year I try to set a boundary, and every year my friends - who are wonderful people, who respect every other boundary I set no questions asked - ignore it and repeatedly push their celebration on me.

what is it about this fucking holiday that makes people think it’s exempt from respecting people’s boundaries?

I, meanwhile, have my own celebration at this time of year. I celebrate the solstice. 21 December. I’m not a pagan or a witch or anything, but it’s a special night for me. I have my own traditions that I enjoy. Among other things they involve making and eating special food (separate from xmas food) and usually doing something to raise money for charity. I survive the longest night by doing something good to help my fellow human beings.

And no one shows up.

I invite my friends to share my food, to take part in my traditions, to join me as I stream video games to raise money for charity, and every year, they decline. They are too busy. They have xmas stuff to do. They hope I have fun and raise a lot of money. (I don’t. No one comes to the streams. My friends don’t even stop in to say hello. They’re too busy with xmas stuff. I raise a little bit of money, usually from the same 2-3 people every year. I could have raised just as much by just asking around the office. I tell myself it’s worth it, it’s still more money than I could donate by myself, but every year it’s disappointing to realize that there’s only one holiday people give a shit about, and they only care about charity when it’s tied to xmas.)

Yesterday a friend was here using my kitchen for some xmas stuff. I mentioned a bit of disappointment that no one wants to celebrate the solstice with me. He laughed and said I should make friends with witches. Witches love the solstice. He seemed to be joking around. Yes, my traditions are hilarious, aren’t they. What a silly little pagan, celebrating something with actual real-world significance instead of spending a month’s salary buying junk people don’t really want or need while they do the same for me. It’s absurd that I would even suggest that someone else would celebrate a holiday that has no meaning for them, yet they have no qualms whatsoever doing that exact thing to me every single year.

All this is to say: if someone tells you they don’t celebrate or don’t want to celebrate xmas (or any other holiday for that matter), leave them the fuck alone. Don’t push it on them. I don’t care how much you love the holiday. That doesn’t mean anyone else is obligated to celebrate it with you. Maybe they’re Jewish or Muslim or of another non-christian faith. Maybe they’re an atheist. Maybe they have bad memories of the holiday from their youth. Maybe they just hate xmas music and think the decorations are ugly. maybe it doesn’t fucking matter what their reason is.

Celebrate xmas if you want to. Have a blast! I hope every single one of you who celebrates it has a great time this year, and I mean that sincerely.

But if someone in your life says they don’t want to celebrate, I don’t want you to say another word about it to them. because those of us who don’t like xmas are fucking exhausted. leave us alone. have your parties and exchange your gifts and enjoy your traditions, and ALSO respect others’ right to stay out of it.

(and it wouldn’t kill you to take an interest in other traditions besides your own, either. my solstice food would taste better if i had someone to share it with.)

(also so help me if even a single person responds to this by suggesting i do my solstice celebrations on xmas, or rebrand them as xmas celebrations, or just share my solstice food on xmas day instead, i will end you)

[writingwithcolor]

Jewish character as adoptive parent/patriarch of a found-family that ostensibly contains children from xtian backgrounds?

@lymanjosh asked:

tl;dr: how to approach Jewish character as adoptive parent/patriarch of a family that ostensibly contains children from xtian backgrounds?

(this is about fandom but i take it fairly seriously and want to do it right!)

so i’m not jewish, and i portray/hc a (relatively important/main) character A as a Jewish man. character A is at the center of a large found-family network, and he has a number of children adopted + otherwise who come from a variety of backgrounds and who are variously headcanoned by other fandom members.

a lot of the time (mostly in a roleplay context, where other people have equal control over the storyline) i’ll be faced with the assumption that the family would operate by the xtian norms dominant in a us context (particularly regarding xmas.)

id like to push back against this, but i hesitate to portray character A as asking his children to share in his own customs; i don’t think it would be in character, since he is very very reserved + rarely speaks about his birth family in the source material, but even if that were something he did i don’t have much interest in writing about it, nor do i think it would be my place.

what’s a realistic way for this kind of family to navigate the holidays? i’ve done some reading about adoption of children from oppressed groups by white/gentile families, in which it’s generally best to preserve the child’s connection with their culture, but i’m not sure if it would be different in this context? i worry about implying that A has to let xtian norms into his home to some degree in order to properly parent his children. 

Hi! OK, so when I first read this ask I completely read it as Magneto and was all set to give a complex and thorough Magneto answer, and then I realized I was jumping to conclusions and asked and I was VERY wrong – this is Batman! Which is also awesome. I’m not as familiar with DC but I still enjoy this premise.

So the question becomes: how does Jewish Batman handle the holidays if Robin and whoever those other found-family kids are, are Christian. How do we give them a Christmas without having to “do” Christmas ourselves? If I were in Batman’s Bat Shoes here, I’d ask the kids what it was they wanted. In other words, what part of Christmas would they need in order to feel like they weren’t missing out. And then I’d find a way to make sure they were getting to experience it. If they wanted to go to Midnight Mass, I’d ask if (Christian?) Alfred was okay taking them, or Commissioner Gordon, or some other gentile character. If all they wanted was Christmas cookies and everyone baking as a family, I’d orchestrate that without feeling uncomfortable. If they wanted to watch a movie it would depend on how overtly Christian it was vs. something like A Muppet Christmas Carol. (Note: this is going to be a big “your mileage may vary” here because of our varying discomfort with having to participate in Christmas, so I am definitely not saying all of us are comfy with secular Christmas movies.) If they wanted a Christmas tree, remember this is Wayne Manor so there’s gonna be room for there to be a Christmas tree or even a whole Christmas room that doesn’t have to be my space or my room. If I’m Batman. (Did I really just type that sentence?

Batman is so Alone TM that this post makes me lonely for him to have other Jewish characters to do his own holidays with. But. The whole time I was in grad school I was in a situation where I was celebrating all my holidays with all gentiles, and I basically did my own thing and taught them what I was doing and why, and then had movie parties. Like for Passover we had a “deconstructed seder” where I made all the seder foods as party foods and watched Ten Commandments. That way I got to feel like I wasn’t missing out. That would be a sort of secular way that the BatFam could participate in stuff like Passover without having to actually sign up to practice a different religion.

–Shira

I only have a couple minor things to add. Firstly OP, definitely pay attention to the ‘mileage may vary’ point and, as we’ve mentioned before, listen  to many Jewish experiences of Christmas from those who engage to those who are neutral to people who have negative associations and memories about Christmas. The examples Shira gave all work, as long as they fit with Batman’s wider Jewish identity and you’re aware that whatever option you go with, many Jews will feel completely differently to your character and that’s OK too.

Similarly, Shira’s suggestions for Jewish holidays like Passover are great, but this would again depend on Batman’s denomination and personal preferences. An Orthodox seder still has plenty of room to make it your own, but with a lot more do’s and don'ts. For example, (this obviously didn’t happen in 2020 but) my dad usually heads down to the local Jewish retirement home on first night Passover and leads a kind of 'highlights of the seder’ for the residents. All the songs they will remember from childhood, but shorter; all the food, but made a bit more palatable, as Shira also said; and all condensed into about 45 minutes. Your Batman might do something similar for his kids if they show interest in Passover. However, when my dad gets home he will still make sure he does seder night, even if he is by himself if the rest of the family are with my mum. It will depend on Batman’s denomination and beliefs as to whether he sees a condensed or modified seder as having fulfilled his religious obligation. 

–Shoshi

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

Okay, so here are my spicy Xmas takes: (Chanukah takes to follow)

Yes, CHRISTmas is 100000% a xtian holiday and pushing it on non-xtians, especially Jews and Muslims and other religious minorities, is actually a microaggression and part of a broader colonial narrative that xtian evangelism both supports and is supported by.

Yes, xtians appropriated facets of pagan rituals to appeal to a European pagan base to convince them to convert.

Sometimes this was actually a totally voluntary thing! There were plenty of European pagans that chose to convert to xtianity and brought their traditions with them.

Sometimes it was very definitely colonialism/appropriation. That sucks a lot and I can respect that frustration, particularly if you are the descendant of one of those colonized groups, e.g. you have actual Celtic heritage.

However, that should mean that better than people who xtians didn't appropriate culture from, you should understand why demanding that people give up their own beliefs and customs to participate in whatever the xtians are pushing now is actually at a minimum a microaggression and only escalates from there.

Yes, plenty of ex-xtians and non-xtians willingly participate in some Xmas stuff. That could be for any number of reasons and does NOT make Xmas religiously neutral or make it okay to demand that ex-xtians and/or non-xtians participate in any Xmas stuff.

The fact that American consumerism is a cult of its own that also has its claws tightly sunk into the ""holiday season"" aka Xmas season from November September until February proves nothing except that capitalism makes existing cultural hegemony worse.

YOU might approach Xmas in a secular way, but that does not make Xmas itself a secular holiday.

(I would actually make the argument that no holidays are actually religiously neutral in the U.S. but that's another take for another post.)

I hope you have a very nice Xmas if you celebrate it, unless you believe in the so-called "war on Xmas" and/or believe that non-xtians asking to be left alone about Xmas is a threat, in which case I hope you get nothing but coal in your stockings.

Chanukah takes:

Chanukah isn't like a super minor holiday, nor is it a major holiday. The focus on it is disproportionate because of xtian hegemony/Xmas, but it's still an important holiday.

It is 100% valid to celebrate it in what are arguably Jewish-American ways (that have definitely been influenced by how American xtians celebrate Xmas), even though that may be too assimilationist for other folks.

Conversely, refusing to engage any non-traditional ways of celebrating Chanukah because Chanukah is fundamentally about refusing to assimilate into the surrounding non-Jewish culture, is equally 100% valid.

They are actually both really interesting assertions of Jewish identity and ways of pushing back against those who would subdue us.

(I actually saw a really interesting take that there have been three major ways of reimagining Chanukah in modern times: (1) As a way to show off one's pride in being a Jew at a time when that is particularly painfully visible, (2) as a way of reasserting the place and importance of Jewish fundamentalism, and (3) as the first "independence day" of the Jewish people.)

Only Jews should celebrate Chanukah. Non-Jews should feel welcome to participate in anything Chanukah related that their Jewish friends/family/etc. invite you participate in, but do NOT try celebrating it on your own without Jews.

There are a lot of valid ways to transliterate "Chanukah/Hanukkah/etc." but the only correct spelling is חנוכה.

Latke discourse is fun silliness but you're never going to convince me that applesauce is good on anything, let alone potatoes.

[miss-galaxy-turtle]

HAWKEYE SPOILERS BELOW

Shoutout to @/daniellesilverstone and @/rabbicomics on TikTok for pointing this out but KATE BISHOP IS JEWISH!! Her aunt's house features a mezuzah and menora!! 

Is this problematic for a show set in xmastime? Yes. But to me the fact that Kate also celebrates xmas isn't a big deal to me bc interfaith families but I get why people are upset too

However, this means so much to me. As many of you know, I’m very proud of my Jewishness, but I always feel so weird around the holidays as someone who grew up in an interfaith household. I’m a patrilineal Jew, which means that my heritage comes from my father’s side (though he isn’t practicing). My mother is christian. My dad just sort of went along with celebrating christmas for non-religious reasons but would also do things like making Jewish food around the holidays and shares stories about his own father, who was also a very proud Jew. 

I didn’t really question celebrating christmas when I was little, especially since my Jewish side was also included (my favorite ornament was always a dreidal because I thought it was so cool that it showed both sides of me). But as I got older, I felt guilty. Like I was betraying my ancestors. I am not, I repeat, N-O-T not a christian in any way shape or form (not trying to be disrespectful but because of some of the people I’ve interacted with it’s really, really turned me off of that religion). When I move out, I’m even planning on celebrating both Christmas and Hannukah, and I’ve even considered full-on converting to Reform Judaism, but I also love my family’s “christmasy” traditions at the same time.

But, holy shit, I feel so seen. More so than I have in a while, really. We have a canonically Jewish character actually played by a Jewish actress who is possibly from an interfaith family, and I'm honestly getting kinda misty-eyed rn

Again, I get the criticism, 100%, and I hope we actually see Kate straight up referencing/acknowledging her Jewish side. But personally, my heart is so full

[furiousblanketfort]

So my family is interfaith. I'm Jewish and Justin is culturally xtian. (He believes nothing, like we have a tree but not a manger). I'm pumped to celebrate Hanukkah with the kids, and I've started by buying books about Hanukkah so as to plant the seed (even though their mother's best friend is Jewish allegedly)

One book I got is "Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama" and it's based on a real interfaith family that is seemingly a Jew and a serious catholic. Like, catholic daddy acknowledges strictly religious days so he must go to church. It broke my brain. Although it a bit seems like Jewish mama is culturally Jewish and not religious but it got my wheels turning. I struggle with the concept that anyone can stay catholic once they know what Judaism means.

I was raised catholic so I still have culturally xtian influence. And I like the aesthetic of Christmas; the lights, everything so cozy, family being together. But the family togetherness aspect of Judaism is something I really really like too.

ANYWAY

We celebrate Jewish things religiously, and xtian things strictly culturally. Xmas I'm fine with because I see a distinction between Santa and jesus. I see Santa as xtian cultural but not actually associated with religion. I really struggle with Easter because I celebrated it religiously when I was catholic. Religiously Easter is the most xtian event possible. I can barely even get behind the Easter bunny, and he's strictly cultural like Santa. But Judaism and xtianity are fundamentally opposed and "Easter" is where it comes out most. I refuse to believe Jesus was real. He existed, sure, but was not the son of Gd. And Jesus ruined Passover! That's when Easter is and I'm so mad. Easter and Passover line up because Jesus hijacked a seder and made it his last supper!

Like, this is what the "last supper" would have actually looked like. Notice they're all laying on their left side? Ma Nishtana instructs us about this! "halailah hazeh, kulanu m’subin" on this night we only recline. To the left. That's what they're doing!

And if I recall correctly Oily Josh washed the feet of all in attendance. Urchatz? Rachtzah? Maybe back then they did things a little differently, or it's been the entire common era since then and we've all played broken telephone.

Plus doesn't it just seem like something the "son of Gd" would do? The person who 100% legitimately believes he is the conceived child of the ethereal without physical form omnipresent being who created the entire universe. Are you getting how irredeemably unhinged nonsense of a concept that is? That guy, the guy who believes his natural biological father is G-D felt that two days out of a 365 day year, two days of explicitly remembering when Gd saved their people from 200 years of slavery in Egypt was too many. In fact xtians don't acknowledge Passover as anything more than an old testament story... so Oily Josh destroyed Pesach.

I am furious about this. I don't know if I will ever get over it. How can xtains NOT see this once they know about Judaism? I'm not trying to proselytize here, I'm legitimately confused. Has nobody ever wondered why Passover and Easter are always the same weekend? Has nobody wondered why the birth of Jesus has a solid date but the death is varriable?

[progressivejudaism]

PART ONE OF ANON ASK. hello! goy here (im sorry if anything i say is disrespectful, i sincerely apologize if it is). i go to a highschool/college where festivities like xmas are celebrated, it is not a christian school though so its mostly santa hats and free cookies and oranges and stuff. i want to make my school welcoming to all religions, i know that there are many muslims and some christians at my school but i dont know about jewish people, so celebrating jewish holidays without any jewish-

PART TWO. -people. i want to know how to respectfully do things as a gentile and how to make jewish individuals feel at home without being appropriating and treating things as a "joke". the only person i know/could be jewish is one of my friends, but she isnt religious and doesnt celebrate anything i think, its her father and they dont have alot of contact i think. how can a school environement make jewish people feel included? (sorry this was long)             

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Hi there friend,

My name is Josh (he/him/his) and I’m a student rabbi in NYC.

Thank you so much for your kind message.  It is SO important that we work to make everyone feel love and support - especially in school. 

My main suggestion here is to learn as much as you can about Judaism and Islam-- blogs like mine and resources that you could find in my FAQ section will help you in this endeavor from a Jewish perspective.  Similarly, I suggest befriending Jews and Muslims in your school.  Through friendship you will learn the things that you should know as an ally!

l’shalom,

Josh

[wetwareproblem]

I have a genuine question, both of my parents were raised in Christianity but are atheists, and I was raised in a nonreligious household but we still celebrate Christmas and Easter in a secular way, and my extended family is still religious, does that also make me a Christian atheist because I still grew up very near the culture of Christianity?

Yes. You are culturally Xian, even if not religiously.

This is something people in dominant cultures have a hard time seeing - I know I did. You’re not used to seeing things like Xianity in terms of cultural impact; when you do notice it, you tend to frame it as ‘religion’ having too much authority.

But... A Jewish atheist isn’t going to celebrate Xmas and Easter. They are, however, going to have to fight tooth and nail to get Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur or Purim off. Despite the fact that there are deep cultural practices on those days whether or not you’re an “observant Jew.”

You are an Xian atheist in the exact same vein that I was. And that’s okay.

[delgado-master]

lots of atheists who were never members of minority religious (jews, muslims, etc), who do not believe in christian theology, still grew up celebrating secularized christian holidays like xmas. this is what we’re talking about when we discuss cultural christianity. it is no reflection on what you believe. it has to do with the context that you exist in within christian normative society and how that’s different from how religious minorities exist. it’s a statement on xtian normativity 2/2

But a lot of people are turning it into “this is a reflection of what you believe”…

[pintplow21-blog]

Why Do The Pros Recommend Knight Over Anyone Else

If Jesus was a man of petition, our company will definitely be actually individuals of petition; if Jesus withstood lure, our team will certainly avoid seduction; if Jesus was actually an excellent educator, our experts will certainly examine his trainings and also share them with others; if Jesus remedied the ill, our company are going to take care of those that are actually ill; if Jesus stood firm when scrutinized, our experts are going to carry out the appropriate factor also if others fuss; if Jesus forgave evildoers, our experts are going to eliminate those who have actually harmed our company or have actually performed glitch; and also if Jesus set his lifestyle for our company, we will certainly prepare down our lives for others. Request can heal the misinterpretation. On this side of the veil, our experts carry out certainly not understand for particular if a beloved family member or buddy is actually joined along with Christ in paradise. [9] Some pray depending on to standard practices and celebrations, while others favor extemporaneous petitions. [61] [citation not located] Abrahamic religious beliefs. The typical position of request in medieval Europe is actually stooping or even supine with tight hands, in classical times much more normally with elevated hands. There are likewise numerous various other ceremonial requests a Jew executes during their day, like cleaning prior to consuming bread, washing after one awakens in the early morning, and carrying out grace after foods. The Pope stated that commemorating a Eucharistic Our lawmakers in the present day as well as multicultural area, where the Gospel as well as the kinds of religious connection have actually become low, suggests complying along with The lord s petition to disperse a Eucharistic lifestyle through petition and also task. It is greatly a routine phrase of long for effectiveness in the process as well as in assisting all beings. [34] If the shorter message is actually the original one, at that point Luke's account is actually individual of both that of Paul which of Matthew/Mark. Some Native Americans regard dance as a type of prayer. What Will Knights Be Like In 4 Years? Bishop Cistone passed away Oct. I do not understand much about knight but I'd really like to learn a lot more. Others, such as the Catholic Church, carry out not utilize this condition for the ceremony, but rather mean through it the process of partaking of the consecrated factors; they mention acquiring Holy Communion also outside of the ceremony, and of taking part in the rite without getting Holy Communion. Think of your life s adventure the places you ve lived, individuals you ve fulfilled, the numerous varied expertises you ve had. [120] Several research studies of request efficiency have actually generated ineffective results. Some graduates who got a degree from Carroll and also are now in university have proceeded to attend the Origin events during the summertime, and lots of also prepare to perform thus during Thanksgiving as well as Xmas breathers. This exhibition is a traveling one, offered for any type of curious associations that want to throw it. I believe it is actually a good thing, and even those who have been going that do not happen constantly find it enriching. The command to ritual prayer occurs continuously in the Quran.

[sasshomaru]

I'm Mizrahi Jewish/Middle Eastern Jewish and here are some things to add:

if you're not jewish, chances are you're anti-Semitic without realizing it. most of us grow up in anti-Semitic societies, just like we grow up in racist, patriarchal, LGBTQ+ phobic societies. the best you can do is acknowledge this, do better, and support Jewish people.

not all Jewish people are white. there are Middle Eastern jews, Indian Jews, North African, North and South American, and well, everywhere we could seek refuge really

Ashkenazi generally means European Jewish. this means they kept religious and cultural practices per European customs and diets. Sephardic and Ashkenazi have some different traditions but we recognize each other and other forms as 100% correct. as an example, my family does a longer ceremony on rosh hashannah and we eat different foods (no potatoes and way more fruits!)

just like any other religious and ethnic group, we have different opinions on things. asking your Jewish friend "so what do you think of Palestine?" is just... insensitive and weird. if you wouldn't ask a Muslim person "so what do you think of Iran?" or a Christian person "so do you condone the Westboro Baptist church?" don't ask a Jewish person about Palestine/Israel unless prompted

avoid "Jews for Jesus" like the plague. these people insert Jesus into our religious holidays and seek to convert Jews.

goy/goyim comes from Yiddish, gentile is the English term. they mean the same thing. goy is singular, goyim is plural, eg. that person is goy, those people are goyim

honestly the only people i know who speak Hebrew have visited Israel or lived there at one point. if you can understand why someone who is Catholic doesn't know Latin, you can understand why someone who is Jewish doesn't know Hebrew

Hannukah isn't "jewish xmas" because it's really not a super religious holiday. in protestant christianity there's basically only easter, xmas, and maybe good friday. in Judaism there's Yom Kippur (holiest day of reflection and repentance), Rosh Hashannah (new year), and others. a lot of Jewish holidays have to do with celebrating and remembering events, and Hannukah, Sukkot, Purim, and Passover all fall under that category. Hannukah is really not as religious of a holiday, and at least in the U.S. it's only normalized to get presents during this time bc of xmas.

kosher/keeping kosher is a dietary law that not all Jewish people follow, and to varying degrees. i know some who don't at all, some who don't at all except they won't eat pork, and some who have two kitchens and won't eat dairy and meat in the same meal. it doesn't hurt to ask and if you're providing food for someone who keeps kosher, the best you can do is talk to them! maybe they'll only eat from kosher restaurants, or they're cool with vegetarian options. see what works for them!

im reading the notes and people are saying "go to temple! learn about our religion!" and like... im hesitant to say that u should attend our services. like i don't attend mosque or church for my muslim or christian friends. these people might be referring to temple which is generally less strict on laws and more spiritual. for me, i grew up going to orthodox synagogues where it takes years to convert to judaism and we are very strict about not converting people unless they absolutely 100% want to become jewish. it is against our religion to force people to convert (which is probably where all of the antisemitic "jews are secretive!" bullshit comes from). if you really want to ally yourself w the jewish community tbh reach into your purse. my old synagogue couldn't afford sabbath/shabbat meals sometimes; some communities don't even have their own buildings and have to use churches or community centers. you can also call and ask if there are any classes or educational resources you can find as a non-Jewish person. again, reform temples probably have more programs and resources for non-Jews than orthodox.

another way you can be an ally is to educate yourself! read books by jewish people, follow jewish people on social media, buy from Jewish business, just in general support Jewish people.

listen to Jewish people and call out anti-Semitism. you heard someone make a holocaust joke? call them out on it and report them if it was your school or workplace (or some other place where they can be reported)! your friend said "idk man, Jewish people just have control of everything"? call them out and tell them that's some anti-Semitic shit! you see Jewish people online calling something anti-Semitic? listen to them!

since judaism is an ethnoreligion, there are people who are athiest and jewish. i myself don't believe in god but value jewish practices and traditions and keep kosher. if you're not Jewish, don't tell Jewish people how we should keep our religion.

be wary of athiest rhetoric that's like "religion = bad, traditions = outdated." i have a friend who is athiest and during passover, i told him that i was avoiding bread that week and explained the history of passover. he was like "honestly that's some shit and why i don't get religion, like why would you make yourself suffer? your ancestors did that so you wouldn't have to eat matzah and unleavened bread" and i called him out and was like lol dude chill im not suffering, im a grown ass adult making my own decision and i Promise i am not suffering by not eating bread for a week and i will live and be fine lmao.

pickled foods, bagels, gefilte fish, latkes, ETC. are Ashkenazi food and not the only Jewish food that exists! every region has their own foods!

with more protests going on, don't make arguments or signs like "the bible ALSO says not to wear two types of fabric :)" and tbh i can't think of specific examples but basically the goal is to say "why follow the bible when these laws in it are outdated and no one follows them." Some Jews DO follow those laws. calling these laws archaic when real people follow them is anti-Semitic.

i can't think of anymore rn but feel free to add on

Hey not to sound stupid, but what's the best way to be a Jewish ally? Like, yeah I'm anti-Nazi, but I don't think that's the same thing as being pro-Jewish

im glad u asked! some quick tips:

-its ‘jewish people’ not ‘jews’ (if a jewish person calls themself a jew its their business but goyim Shouldnt)

-we aren’t all zionists! most of us are anti-israel so please don’t ask someone their stance on it when you find out someone is jewish

-goy and gentile mean the same thing and neither are slurs

-on that note, goy is singular, goyim is plural, and goyische is an adjective

-jews of color exist and are erased and underrepresented both by gentiles and other jewish people

-we dont all speak hebrew!!! i can only do a couple of prayers phonetically and some jewish people can’t even do that

-judaism is a culture as well as a religion-hanukkah isnt jewish christmas (its better)

anyone can add on to this, and if you need any other tips feel free to ask!