HANNUKAH..HANUKKA...CHANUKAH
Here we go again....It angers me every year. (By the way. If you use the "CH" version, remember that "CH" in Hebrew, Yiddish, and, German has a guttural sound and is produced, as I wrote in my book, by trying to clear a stubborn piece of popcorn from your throat).
Chanukah should not in any way be treated like Christmas. It was never a serious holiday. It commemorates the rededication of the second temple in 167 B.C.... In Lithuania and Russia it was customary for a grandfather to give a little "gelt" to the small children. Gelt is the Yiddish word for gold. (It is now also the universal Yiddish word for money). That was the currency for many centuries....And that was it. No nonsense about having enough oil to keep a lamp lit for one day and miraculously lasting for eight. When we were small, our maternal grandmother would give six of us each a nickel. Uncle Louie would stop in after we were asleep and line up six one dollar bills on the dining room table. We would each scramble down in the morning to retrieve our dollar. My father's boss, Joe Wagenheim, would send each of us a $10 check. So our total each year was $11.05.
Christmas day was special for me. The first thing I would do was go to Bobby Carlisle's house to see what was in his stocking and what else he got for Christmas. (Bobby was the first friend I had. He lived a few doors from us, and then moved one block away to Winchester Avenue). About 10 days before Christmas, his father would set up their elaborate train set. I delighted going there to play with the trains. Also, on Christmas day, I would make the rounds of several friends to marvel at their gifts, admire the trees (what a glorious aroma emanated from them), and to share the joy of the day.
Years later everything changed. Jewish families started giving elaborate gifts for eight consecutive days to compensate their children for not having Christmas. Business loved the idea of Chanukah gift giving because of obvious reasons. I never felt deprived.
In the third grade, our teacher was Miss Maison. It was her first year. She then became Mrs. Frazier and taught 7th and 8th grade. She later went on to become a principal. After the Christmas break, when we were in the third grade, she asked all of us to draw a picture of what we got for Christmas. She handed out blank sheets of paper. I diligently printed my name and the date in the upper left hand corner as we were taught. I put the title WHAT I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS as a heading and left the rest blank. Nothing was ever said about it.
Now there are no more carols being sung, people and the media have a problem saying MERRY CHRISTMAS, and instead sidestep with the words "SEASONS GREETINGS", "HAPPY HOLIDAYS", and verbally not to offend anyone, simply say goodbye with the words, HAVE A HAPPY.
I am not religious. I am a secular Jew. I like corned beef, gefilte fish, bagels, and lox. These and other foods are as close to being a religious Jew I can be. But I do respect everyone's beliefs as long as I can have my non-beliefs. Arguments over whether a town can have a Christmas tree in its center, and the like, are ridiculous. And just because you have a Christmas tree, a Chanukah Menorah should be erected is, I feel, an insult to me as a Jew (albeit secular), a non-issue, and an insult to everyone.
The birth of someone's Savior should not be equated with a minor skirmish and dedication of a temple 2000 plus years ago.
I owned the largest health club in New Jersey, on 13 acres, during the 1980's and, because my partner also owned a large garden center, we always had the finest Christmas tree in our bar and restaurant area. I also dispayed a large MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR sign. I had built the membership to 4000 people. Some complained and thought I should put up signs that read season's greetings or happy holidays and, yes, HAPPY CHANUKAH, even when Chanukah was already over.
I refuse to have the media, business, or any organization own me. I don't want ANYONE telling me that I have to say and do what is politically and socially correct. I won't say "I want to SHARE this with you" or "Buy our PREOWNED cars" and more and more. If I followed the leaders, they (as George Carlin would say) would own ME! I can think and talk for myself thank you.
End of rant.
Eddie
