...even CNN admitted that the rabbi did not ask for the trees to be removed. According to the international reports, the rabbi ASKED to be allowed to put up a menorah weeks ago and was being put off over and over for an answer. (Now we know that the powers that be at the airport didn't want it but didn't want to outright SAY that they didn't want it.) The rabbi consulted an attorney about contacting them likely thinking a legal nudge would get him the answer he was seeking. Only the attorney got aggressive and pointed out the legal ramifications of refusal. Apparently the person making the decision was so anti-Judaism that they would rather have pulled out the trees rather than suffer a menorah alongside the trees. This person was the real grinch of this story. How galling that the trees went back up while the menorah was refused. How more galling still that the Jews backed down from their legal rights because of threats from Jew-haters all over the country!! And how sad and unfortunate that from the supposed millions of "lovers of Israel" in that country, none were heard from on this issue of equal rights for Jews. For Ms Schlessinger, there are simply no words. (None printable anyway.) Hanukah sameach to all Am Yisrael wherever you are.

lets be honest. We got a little green-plastic tree since a few years in my house. come to tell my little doughter not to have it. WHERE EVER YOU GO, WHAT EVER MOVIE YOU SEE, THE TREES EVERYWHERE. the worst part , she loves to put the lights, the staf on the tree WITH ME ! WHAT CAN I DO WHAT :))) I love her. Damn, I enjoy that tree :)))) anyway, They are strong to emphasizing the culture to world. What ? what can I do :( me no like Christian culture also :)))))) But I have many lovely good Christian Friends from all over world. I dont mean hurt them. when I was a boy there was no trees around. 70's was the last great years of the earth :) okey bye everyone. AT LEAST WE DONT EAT PORK. I MEAN, WE OKEY BUDY :)))

christmas is christian tradition, unlike jewish tradition which is often connected with some aspect of jewish faith. christian tradition is not binding (unless one is of the catholic or orthodox streams). instead, celebrating christmas has nothing to do with the christian faith other than celebrating the birth of jesus. nowhere is it commanded, nowhere is it required, nowhere is it expected. it has been done throughout the centuries but it is not obligatory. here in israel we (as goyyim) are celebrating hanukkah. should we, as christians, abstain from acknowledging this holiday, aviod any participation of our children in school hanukkah activities because we are not jewish? should we remove any cards, savivonim, and decorations in defiance of judaism? won't our neighbors notice that we defy the holiday and something important to them here in their country? maybe we should so distance ourselves from judaism and jews (like orthodox jews do with everything not jewish in other countries) so we won't be tainted. if it's a good thing to do as the religious minority, then let's also do it? rubbish. this rabbi obviously believes that unless jews do their part, god can't keep his promises he made to them. i guess if jews were to try their hardest to go against what god said and convert en masse to whatever other religion, that god's promises would go unfulfilled. some faith in the almighty. guess what? god will be proven faithful to his promises NO MATTER WHAT jews do or don't do. if that wasn't the case, jews would have ceased to exist a long time ago. you guys are not still around and successful because you try so hard; no it is because of god's faithfulness to his own word, nothing more and nothing less.

Christmas is not a Christian festival. There is no Biblical authority whatsover for this celebration. It is based on a heathen celebration in honour of the birth of Tammuz, (Ezekiel 8:14) or Baal the Sun God. In Roman times this celebration was known as Saturnalia. Anglo-Saxan pagan worship hailed 25 December as Yule -Day long before Christianity. The Christmas tree, not a Christian symbol,also comes from the worship of Tammuz. Christmas with its images used in worship contrary to the second commandment in Exodus 20 is a thoroughly unwarranted and un-Christian celebration. At time of the Reformation in Europe the more thoroughly Biblical Protestant Churches cast out Christmas and Easter along with many other errors introduced by the Church of Rome.

Oddly enough, the person who gave this rabbi the most fair and impartial hearing was Bill O'Reilly on his Fox television program. He was very respectful and voiced concern about the fact that the Rabbi was being cast as the villain when it was the airport authority that was at fault. The fact is that all they had to do was to add the menorah, which, as the rabbi pointed out, was going to be donated and wasn't even going to cost the taxpayers anything. And as far as Laura Schlesinger is concerned, she's one of those psychotherapists who gives the profession a bad name. She's so totally screwed up, herself, she has no business giving anybody advice on how to live their lives. I don't know why she's still on the radio spewing her nonsense and brow-beating any caller to her program who doesn't conform to her way of thinking. And anybody who knows anything about her personal history will quickly realize what an unbridled hypocrite she really is.

the point basically is this.....just like millions of non religious christians celebrate christmas as a cultural holiday, i think rabbi brackman is just saying that jews of all denominations should recognize their own culture and identify with that, and i completely agree. christmas has become so accepted for people celebrate because the u.s is an overwhelmingly christian nation. and it is not just about gifts and presents for christians, it is a religious holiday. it's jesus' birthday, that's why people attend mass on christmas eve. i'm just saying, as a proud staunchly secular jew, i undoubtedly recognize the importance of celebrating and preserving the religious and cultural traditions of my own familty and people. and i think it's especially crucial for jews who choose to live chutz la'aretz to understand the importance of staying true to their jewish culture, and that means not teaching jewish children to identify with christmas. that's just my opinion.

Furthermore, take a trip and enjoy the decorations others have put up for you to see. If you end up contacting an attorney about holiday decorations I'd say you have a problem and perhaps need to rethink your motivation. Drop the lawyers, enjoy peace and goodwill.

I think kids can well figure out which is which and 2 festivities are better than one. Let there be fun, there isn't enough in this world as is.

The US is NOT a xian country; however, Israel is supposed to be a Jewish country. Go back to the USA and take your pagan traditions with you. You preach a good xianity but you know squat about Judaism.

i am glad to read your text. unfortunately here in continental europe nobody in the christian communities wants to accept that Christmas is a totally pagan tradition which should be wiped out. instead the contrary happens, the celebration period gets longer every year.

The US was founded by Christians not Jews. They wanted a country with religious freedoms. So please the comment " Take your pagan traditions with you" is uncalled for. You are very ignorant and rude. Also you should be glad Christians support your country financially and poltically. People like you will make Christians want to stop supporting your ass. Have a Happy Hanukkah and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Growing up, my family always had a xmas tree. It didn't confuse us, it didn't confuse our identity, it didn't lessen our sense of being Jewish --and it didn't stop me from making aliyah. If a child's identity can be so easily damaged from an event that occurs but once a year then he or she doesn't have much of an identity to begin with. I personally think it is important for children to fit in and belong. If you want your child to not celebrate the holiday that all his or her friends and neighbors are celebrating and simultaneously not feel alienated, different, and deprived then perhaps you should consider moving here to Israel where Christmas is not an issue.

That's funny because we were never allowed to have a Christmas tree, even though my father usually ate ham sandwiches on Yom Kippur. I guess maybe my parents felt that if we weren't going to observe our own religion, we certainly weren't going to celebrate anybody else's.

Hannukah Christmas Eid El Fid the rich panolpy of humanity! The days of the ghetto and shtetl are LONG past- at least outside of Israel. ( Much to the disgust.I fear of the good Rabbi)MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

I'm so happy. This year we are celebrating hannoucca. We always celebrated the other jewish festivals but though we lighted the candles we gave presents at christmas. The children must live fully their identity maybe they'll be disappointed at christmas . But this evening i'm trully happy and blessed. We are a minority but my children are jewish not only when they are insulted. Hag sameach to all

My children and i were born and raised in Galut . As i did not want them come home with xmas songs from a state kindergarten , we have brought them to a Jewish school . They had Jewish Friends , feasts , they have a good Jewish and Hebrew knowledge . Of course we had xmas trees in town , nicely decorated , no important . We had also a big hanukkiah in the Jewish quarter , without any problem . Hanukkah is not only a religious feast , i , a secular , consider more the victory of Yehuda Hamaccabi over the oppressor as a reason to commemorate

Christmas has nothing to do with the Christian religion?? That's hands-sown the dumbest thing I've heard lately. Perhaps you've never heard of the Nativity? Why do you suppose there's a Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem? To increase sales of those fun, religiously insignificant Christmas trees? Sure there are Christians who couldn't care less about the religious aspects -- people aren't *all* religious, you know -- but that hardly proves your point.

Of course there are ancient, pagan roots to all sorts of celebrations and symbols. The Christian Christmas tree. The jewish Tree of Life idea. So?

If your support for Israel is so easily finished off, I wonder how deep it was to begin with. What were your motivations? Happy Chanukah or Merry Christmas. Both are great holidays, but I think people show them both disrespect by celebrating both equally. I agree with Rabbi Brackman.

what i do is protected and enshrined in israeli law. it may be a jewish country but it welcomes and protects its christian citizens. i agree that i do not know much about judaism. i am more interested in what the bible itself plainly says, which is not always reflected by judaism's teachings. see you around.

THIS YEAR AGAIN, THERE WILL NOT BE A NATIVITY SCENE IN WASHINGTON, DC. This isn't for any religious reason(s) They simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capital. There was no problem, however, finding enough sheep and asses to fill the stable.

I don't feel too much human kindness in here of whatever persuasion. With all the tragedies going on in the world, bickering over trees and religion seems awfully petty. The Creator of us all can't be very pleased. What the heck, unless and until you threaten to kill me for not believing as you do, I'll take all the Happy/Blessed/ Merry Whatervers I can get and will return them in kind, adjusted, of course, for the occasion.

I do not believe the airport should have been obligated to put up a menorah. Celebrating Christmas the way we do in this country has little to do with the Christain faith. Christmas trees are just a part of the marketing schemes that make people believe that the Christmas season is about giving gifts when it is not. Christmas is the about the birth of Jesus. It would be different if the airport had put up a nativity scene and then declined to put up a menorah. This was not a religious display. To me, a menorah smacks of religion and if they were to display that, then they would have to also display a nativity scene for Christmas and symbols representative of Ramadan and Kwanzaa, and whatever symbols represent Hinduism. They are trees!!! This is an airport not a government operated facility. They need not be ecumenical if they do not want to be.

Every one children and elders should be allowed to decide they belief it may be religion and other things in the world parents should teach them about other religion and also they own religion when we are living in a multireligious and multicultured world we need to understand we should not put our children in a closed doors in fear of being poluted with other religions our children will and have to meet these things personally and decide personally we has parents will not decide for them we need to allow them to experience and come to conclusion. yes Jews as a nation have suffered for accepting and believing, and practising other religions they have paid it through they nose that time was different and the present situation is different today God of Israel is not only for Israel but he is a god of all nations and all people ( PRAISE GOD) that he did speak to us through Abraham, Isaic, Jacob and others throughout the history of Israel I feel sorry for the Jews for they way of thinking. Shalom!

and so are candles. what is the problem. if you are secure with your connection to GOD in yourself- whi cares whats up for decoration or symbols- heck you could be in Africa with some fertlity goddess statue- that doesnt make you black because you happenned to see it at an airport.

As much as folk want to say that the Christimas tree represents Christianity, that are talking out of thier behinds. The MANGER (little statues of Mary Joseph, shepards, magi and animals in a barnlike figure)is repsentative of Christianity and Christmas. The Christmas tree is a secular representative of the festival of lights of any 'belief' So, in essence, in a secular sense it represents ALL 'religions' Therefore, i tend to think that the Rabbi did not use common sense in his argument.

i said that the celebration of christmas is not part of christian faith. big difference than what you said.

there was a tremendous storm that hit the seattle area yesterday. it was one of the worst storms they ever had. four people died and 1.5 million are without power. could this be related to their rejecting to display the menorah at the airport as the rabbi requested.

OH, really Debra NU BE´EMET!!!! You must have lost it completely.... Normally you make a LOT of sence, but this is way out of line.....!!!!! A menorah or in these days CHANUKIYAH, should NOT be on a xmas tree...a pagan symbol....get a grip girl and light the second candle in you window tonight. Stop the Shtuyot!!!! and Chag Chanukah Sameach and shavuah tov

Rabbi: thank you very much for considering my input so important! However, I wish you had quoted me in full and not out of context. I said I believe it is Christian America that protects American Jews - and i believe we should show more gratitude and respect for that. I also said Jews pray over a menorah and Christians don't pray over a tree. Half of Jews intermarry and most don't go to synagogue except on Yom Kippur. Give me a break - you really think the lack of a menorrah at an airport will repair that? The main problem with waning Judaism is the co-opting of the religion by those who turned it into a left-wing political arm.