I am writing this during the first week in November, and it has already been “The Season” for quite awhile. It used to be that “The Season” began after the Thanksgiving leftovers were gone. Then, more recently, it started when the last of the Halloween candy was tossed. Now it seems that it begins after the final July 4th cherry bomb explodes.
Being a Jew, I observe this phenomenon from an outsider’s perspective, but of course I am completely surrounded by it. (I am very aware that others belonging to non-Christian religions, as well as atheists and agnostics, may or may not feel as I do about this issue. Please recognize that I am not speaking for them, nor for other Jews, nor for anyone else. These are my opinions and my opinions only.)
One of the telltale signs for me that “The Season” is upon us is that I am often asked, “Does Chanukah come early this year?” I plan to provide the reader with an answer which they have probably never heard before. I will do so at the conclusion of what many would characterize as my harangue on the subject.
Though the concept of “separation of church and state” is not explicitly mentioned in so many words in our Constitution, our courts and legal scholars have interpreted the following sentence, found in the First Amendment, as meaning just that: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise thereof…”. Although we don’t always achieve that lofty goal, it makes me happy and proud that we aspire to that aim.
My friends warned me, “For God’s sake, don’t write this column.” I rarely listen to reason.
Not being Christian in our society has often left me confused about various issues. My earliest recollection of this disorientation stems back to being a 7 year old. I was brought up in an apartment in The Bronx. Our neighborhood was comprised of an amalgam of Christians and Jews. Johnny Sullivan was my next door neighbor and best friend. We had a tin can walkie-talkie hooked up between our bedrooms. One afternoon he asked me to come over to help decorate his Christmas tree. When I came home, I asked the inevitable question, “Can I have a Christmas tree?” My dad sat me down and calmly asked me, “Does Johnny Sullivan have a menorah?” I understood and the topic never came up again.
Back in September of this year, I found myself in Walmart looking for tulip, narcissus, and crocus bulbs. To my surprise, the shelves in the floral department were already full of Christmas ornaments.
Last year on Dec. 21, Naomi Shulman, whose “Friday Takeaway” column I always enjoy reading in the Gazette, composed a piece titled, “X-ed out.” She complained about being confined in a dentist chair while Christmas music was being piped through the office. While I sympathized with her and admired her chutzpah, the dentist’s business is a private enterprise. The First Amendment doesn’t refer to that situation. She could choose another dentist. That being said, I applauded her courage and wrote to tell her so.
None of the issues discussed above apply to the First Amendment as I see it, but they do set the stage for the story below which, in my opinion, does.
I live in Westhampton and have lived here for 40 years. I raised my family here. Yes, that makes me a “Newbie.” It has been a great experience and certainly beats The Bronx. (There are way too many Yankee fans living there!) When I arrived in Westhampton, the church Christmas display was found on the public town square. I regret to admit that I was too afraid to bring up the issue. More to the point, I didn’t want my kids to possibly suffer. It was a Christian woman in town who raised the issue and suggested that the decorations be moved to church property. To the congregation’s credit, it was moved swiftly and without incident. I was grateful for how it was handled, and it went a long way in helping me feel accepted in town.
Now to answer the question, “Does Chanukah come early this year?” The answer is, it never comes early. It never comes late either. It always comes right on time — the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. It has done so for about 2200 years. It lasts for eight days and commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple after the Maccabean Revolt against the Greek-Syrian oppressors.
Finally, despite our stated intent of “separation of church and state,” Christmas is a national holiday. Not only are most stores, banks and businesses closed, but more to the point, the United States Post Office is closed. We still have a bit more separating to do.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, and even if you don’t celebrate any holiday at all, enjoy the season.
Jonathan Kahane lives in Westhampton.