Rabbi's December Message
Submitted by Rabbi Annie Belford on Tue, 12/01/2009 - 10:27pm
“Rabbi Annie,” Susie asked, “all my friends decorate their houses for Christmas! Why can’t I?”
“Rabbi,” Mr. Goldschwartz approached me, “my wife wants to take the kids to celebrate Christmas with her family this year. I don’t really know how I feel about that! What do you think?”
“Rabbi,” Mrs. Charles said, “I love Hanukah, but I hate the commercialism of the holiday. How can I make it—I don’t know—more meaningful somehow?”
Susie, Mr. Goldschwartz, and Mrs. Charles are not real people—but their questions certainly are! As December begins, we not only enter the last month of the secular year, we also enter a period of family gatherings, holidays, and—whether we like it or not—intense commercialism. Some families have tried and true celebrations and habits, while some are still trying to figure out how to navigate the murky waters of the December holidays. Rabbis call this the “December Dilemma,” and the dilemma applies to all of the questions I quoted above:
- How do we remain true to our Jewish identity in a largely Christian world, especially this time of year?
- How can my interfaith family be “fair” to both traditions?
- How can we elevate our celebrations away from commercialism and into the realm of spirituality and meaning?
Every one of us will answer these kinds of questions in a different way, but this year we can join together in sharing our questions, answers, and experiences on Sunday, December 6, at 9:15 am in the Sanctuary for an Adult Education course, “The December Dilemma.” This is the second of our three-part Adult Ed. Series, “Everything You Thought You Knew about Judaism But Forgot… Or Never Knew in the First Place.” So, how would I answer Susie, Mr. Goldschwartz, and Mrs. Charles? You’ll have to come on December 6 to find out! I hope you can join me to share in this morning of learning!
As a Congregation we are also joining together on December 18for our second Open Dor Shabbat
. Tot Shabbat begins at 6 PM, a congregation dinner and Latke-Cook-Off will be at 6:30, and services—with some of our students participating—will be at 7:30. This is the last night of Hanukah, and we hope this evening will be a beautiful way to end our holiday celebrations. Happy Hanukah to all!
. Tot Shabbat begins at 6 PM, a congregation dinner and Latke-Cook-Off will be at 6:30, and services—with some of our students participating—will be at 7:30. This is the last night of Hanukah, and we hope this evening will be a beautiful way to end our holiday celebrations. Happy Hanukah to all!