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“Christian Charity”

Merry Christmas, to all of you, who are likely feeling overwhelmed by the inane "holiday" songs on the radio, offended by the plastic reindeer in every window, and disgusted by the fat men in red suits who overrun our shopping malls through November and December.

All of those feelings are natural and justified, and you have every right to be bothered.  I'll even admit that I got a little LOUD at the dinner table last night when my (non-Jewish) mother suggested that "it wasn't fair that she didn't get off FRIDAY for the holiday".  I went on a tear about how I've missed coming home for the high holidays year after year, but Christians expect "Easter Monday" off from work (There is no such day in any religious sense).  I yelled at her, was a wicked daughter… although she hadn't done anything wrong.  I was just feeling touchy.  So I totally certainly understand if you resent this week of the year.

BUT…

I also want to take a minute to mention to all of you that there are other ways to handle the Christmas situation than either hating it, or doing your best to ignore it.  And I'm wondering if it's possible to find a way to give it some meaning (not Christian meaning… I'm not expecting anyone to celebrate it… but Jewish meaning, or maybe your own personal meaning).

 And in mulling over how one might accomplish that goal, I thought about how, in hospitals, overworked Jews end up working on Christmas, so that the overworked Christians can be home with their families.

And then I thought about the Jewish focus on tzedekah (did you know it's especially good to give unwillingly?), and about how one NICE thing about Christmas is the way a lot of churches open themselves up to the homeless, set up soup kitchens and shelters, adopt-a-family programs, and toys-for-tots kind of stuff.  About how we can, as Jews, appreciuate that tradition, as something that resonates through our own faith.

And then I wondered how often Jews volunteer to help out on Christmas, in churches. I wondered if Jews ever step in an serve up the figgy pudding, dress up as Santa, so some tired Christian can go home to his/her family for the holiday.  And I thought that maybe next year, I'd do something like that for Christmas.  Skip the Matzo Ball and do something to help the people I'm busy resenting.

Just a thought.  I mean, what else do you have to do?

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