Reply To: Problem to Look at X-Mas Lights?

Home Forums Yom Tov Chanukah Problem to Look at X-Mas Lights? Reply To: Problem to Look at X-Mas Lights?

#1204902
Avram in MD
Participant

brooklyn19: The “C” in “JC” is not actually a name, but a Greek word equivalent to “anointed” or “Messiah.” Therefore, rabbis engaged in counter-missionary efforts (e.g., Rabbi Tovia Singer of Outreach Judaism) advise Jews to never use the “C” word at all when referring to the Christian god, because we would be in effect honoring him with the title that the Christians claim he has. In his lectures, Rabbi Singer generally refers to him as “Jesus of Nazereth” and the like, but even that is in the context of his work drawing Jews away from missionaries. I’m not sure if it is appropriate to use either name at all in general conversation.

lesschumras: Christians persecuted Jews both on Christmas and Easter (e.g., the Warsaw Pogrom of 1881 began on Dec. 25). Truthfully, Christians never needed a holiday to attack Jews; the attacks just increased during both holidays. Today in the U.S., anti-semitism often increases more during the Christmas season–take, for example, the incident a year or two ago at the Seattle Airport, where the airport authorities removed Christmas trees instead of allowing the installation of a Chanukah menorah… even though the rabbi involved never asked for the trees to be removed, and was actually upset that they were removed, local Jewish organizations were flooded with hateful and frightening letters. Also, I don’t think that Joseph is disputing with you that Easter is a big day for anti-Semitism. He is referring to a minhag of partial mourning on Dec. 25th because of the violence on that day in the past. That minhag probably wouldn’t work on Easter, since Easter almost always falls during Pesach.