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Politically Correct Holiday Season
Written By Linda L. Esterson Photos by Justin Tsucals
When I think of winter, colorful memories come flooding back. What a joy it was to drive around the area, basking in the glow of the colorful holiday lights, to spend Christmas Eve dinner with friends and to help decorate our neighbor’s Christmas tree. And we laughed and cried with the television specials like “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Never once do I remember feeling left out or offended that Chanukah wasn’t treated in the same way as Christmas. Nor did I ever feel sacrilegious by enjoying the sights and sounds of the Christmas season.
“As a rabbi, I had no problem taking my children to the streets of Baltimore to see the incredible Christmas lighting,” says Beth Israel Congregation’s Rabbi Jay Goldstein. “And (when they were younger) growing up in Connecticut, they decorated a tree with neighbors. I encouraged my children to learn (about different cultures and religions) and I encourage everyone to do that.”
Goldstein recalls even placing a sock on his fireplace as a young boy as he was “always engaged in what was going on in the community.” He sang in a choir that performed songs about Christmas.
“It doesn’t mean I was any less Jewish,” he says. In fact, he went on to become a rabbi.
Today, however, despite our country’s predominately Christian population, our society seems more open to acknowledging other religions and holidays. Some call it political correctness, others just call it respectful. Regardless, there’s more of an awareness of the differing religions and cultures in society.
Goldstein attributes this in a small way to Jews educating non-Jews about our beliefs and our holidays.
Felicia Stolusky, 38, doesn’t see it as a major change from her upbringing in Randallstown, when her family celebrated the spirit of the holiday season. They drove around gazing at the lights and her father “played Santa,” leaving small items in red and white stockings for the kids.
“There was no religious significance to what we did,” she says. “It was in the spirit of the holiday season.”
Stolusky and her husband, Andrew, also take their daughters, Rachel, 6, and Tara, 4, to see the lights as a family tradition. They also enjoy the annual trek of Santa as he rides through the neighborhood aboard a fire truck with lights and sirens blaring.
“As a parent, I love the holiday season and sharing it with my children,” she says. “We love the Christmas music because of the cheer it brings. We sing the ‘snow songs’ and it gives me an opportunity to educate them, age-appropriately, about people who believe in Christianity.”
A teacher at Franklin Middle School, Stolusky focuses on the “spirit of giving and the message that giving and acting with kindness always makes us feel good.” She encourages students to start the holiday season by performing extra acts of kindness and giving that can continue year-round.
Valerie Thaler wouldn’t say she is offended by the Christmas songs and overemphasis of Christmas, but she refrains from playing the music in her Reisterstown home. She tries, instead, to find something different to play. The television specials are okay for daughter Sabrina, 5, to watch, but they are not encouraged.
“I really want her to understand that Judaism has everything she needs for religious and cultural identity within itself,” says Thaler, 39. “It is a tradition that is so rich that she doesn’t need to feel she is missing anything or missing out on anything.”
Thaler grew up in a predominantly gentile area in Norristown, Pa., one of four Jewish students in her school. She doesn’t recall much of an acknowledgement of Chanukah other than the inclusion of one song in the holiday concert. She did, however, refrain from singing the words about Jesus in the concert.
What bothered her then and still does today is the equating of Chanukah to Christmas, one of the most sacred gentile holidays, when Chanukah is not as important to Judaism as are the high holidays.
“I’m happy when the season’s over,” she says. “It’s difficult to avoid in our culture. I don’t get offended by it, but I try to concentrate on other things.”
Rabbi Rhoda Silverman, of Temple Emanuel in Reisterstown, also finds it offensive when the two holidays are associated as parallel, although she admits that society has made strides in respecting holidays other than Christmas.
“It’s important to distinguish the efforts to commercialize the holiday through marketing from any sincere attempts at political correctness,” says Silverman. This can be especially troublesome, she says, when Chanukah falls much earlier than Christmas in the secular calendar.
Regardless, schools today have taken a more active role in educating children about all holidays, especially during the winter season.
At Roland Park Country School, a non-denominational private school in Baltimore, the holiday season is about learning. Sure, there are a few wreaths on the building and maybe a tree with lights — but no ornaments — but there are also a menorah, which is lit each day of the holiday, and Kwanza candles.
“We talk to kids about Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza,” says Jean Waller Brune, head of school. “It is important to learn about all of the holidays. It’s something we want to do every year so kids understand the different holidays and cultures.”
This is part of the school curriculum, says Brune, as are discussions of other holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There’s also a day of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust in the spring when a cantor sings Kaddish for the victims.
In the winter, students learn songs for Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza and even Ramadan, which falls before the school year. The winter concert is held in January and includes no winter holiday songs. However, there is still, as is a long-standing tradition in the upper school, a concert about Christmas highlighting works of Western European traditional artists.
“It’s part of our school philosophy to uphold tradition and promote innovation,” Brune says. “But we’ve added new things.”
“We are a non-denominational school — we won’t overdo anyone’s traditions, but we have an educational responsibility for everyone to learn about all the holidays in December.”
Some may view the changes in school curricula and the treatment of the holidays as an attempt at political correctness. But Brune views it more as respect for the different cultures and religions of our society.
Public schools also focus on the educational aspect of the holidays, as is the case at West Towson Elementary School, according to Principal Susan Hershfeld.
“Anything religious is about teaching and enhancing student understanding,” says Hershfeld, who spent seven years as principal at Fort Garrison Elementary School before helping to open the Towson school in 2010. “Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza — we make sure all children look at the holidays through a learning perspective.”
Students learn about the origin of the holidays, what they mean, and the customs and traditions related to the holidays.
First grade students, for instance, make gingerbread houses and potato latkes. Just before winter break, there’s usually a “holiday party” incorporating all traditions. The school concert includes music from all the holidays.
As for the fact that Christmas has taken over a third of the year — with decorations in store before Halloween, Goldstein admits it’s not such a bad thing.
“If it wasn’t for the Christmas lights being available so early, I wouldn’t be able to decorate my sukkah.”
Sisters Tara (left) and Rachel Stolusky enjoy looking at holiday lights with their family
Sabrina Thaler plays dreidel with father Alex and mother Valerie. It’s important to her mother that she understand that Judaism is rich in both a religious and cultural manner.
