Do you guys think I should tell the news this year that I'm Jewish?

[BlueStarLizzard]

who cares? most of the christmas hype is just hype in our culture. the religious side is only really celebrated by the religous folk.

hell, i do stuff for christmas and i'm not christian. when my boss asked me why i told her its because there ain't nothing wrong with celebrating a day were familys and friends all come together and everyone trys to be nice to everyone else. plus the gifts are a definate bonus.

i still have no idea why she thought that was so funny.  

as to being jewish, its been said before, jewish lights. i don't see why you can't put up as many lights as you want. in fact, some of the santa vomit around here has symbols from every major religious holiday that happens around the winter solictace.

just swear to me that your display is tasteful and pretty, rather then grotestque and blinding.

[The Annoyed Man]

Here is a question for yourself:

Does it really matter that the press knows your name or religion?

IMO, it is almost always a Bad Thing for ordinary folks' names & information to be printed in the paper & nothing good comes of it. 

Agreed.  Last year I just made a point of specifically requesting that the news not use my last name and only my first name and the address of the display.

This year, it might be different because the display actually now has a name and a website.  So, I might just refer to it as that.  However, should it come up, I was wondering if it was stupid to make a point to specifically ask once again that my last name not be printed, and on top of it, should the ask anything about my religion, whether or not I should "take the fifth" so to speak.

btw - I totally understand your feelings about keeping Christ in Christmas.  That's why I try to keep the lights generic so that they're "holiday" lights instead of "Christmas" lights, but at the end of the day it's just a matter of semantics.

It does seem silly that as Jews we have the "Festival of Lights" which is supposed to be all about light, and yet we just light a few candles.  While you are celebrating the birth of Christ, and it evolved into the real festival of lights.  It seems like it would have been more logical if it had evolved as the reverse.  History can be weird.

[Perd Hapley]

Santa vomit?   


.Cheese. 

All kidding aside, I am one of those terribly intolerant Christian types, and I can't figure out what "stealing our holiday" would even mean.  If you're stealing any of the Christmas, I don't think anyone's really noticed.  There should be enough to go around.   

[BridgeRunner]

Personally, I think that many lights is a nutty thing to do, whatever your creed.  Of course, I feel much the same way about things like fishing and arcane stereo equipment.  I don't have to enjoy your hobbies.  That's why they are your hobbies.

But I would SO not advertise being Jewish.  This is my thinking:  You have no religious stake in the matter.  It's a secular thing for you.  If you start making it publicly about religion you are gonna be opening some huge cans of worms, and you will have nutty Christians and nutty Jews all over you, and probably you will start experiencing vandalism.  It seems to me that vandalism of large light displays could lead not only to a lot of irritation but also potentially electrical fires and other bad things.

I just wouldn't go there.  Winter light displays are awesome.  Christians pissy about you stealing their holidays and Jews pissy about you desecrating their holiday and every conceivable permutation of the above doesn't sound like a good time.  I've gotten enough lectures about being a bad Jew (from both Christians and Jews) and about being a bad Christian (likewise from both Christians and Jews) because of who I am that I rarely want to introduce any intersection of Jewish/Christian stuff except in a fairly controlled way.  I really, really wouldn't to do so in conjunction with a press release inviting people to come look at my home.  Not much good can come of it.

[The Annoyed Man]

But I would SO not advertise being Jewish.  This is my thinking:  You have no religious stake in the matter.  It's a secular thing for you.  If you start making it publicly about religion you are gonna be opening some huge cans of worms, and you will have nutty Christians and nutty Jews all over you, and probably you will start experiencing vandalism.  It seems to me that vandalism of large light displays could lead not only to a lot of irritation but also potentially electrical fires and other bad things.

That's exactly what I was thinking last year and why I made sure the press left my last name out of it all both on TV and in the paper.

I think the easiest way to avoid the whole issue this year will be to just refer to the display by the name of the display, and it's website, and leave my name out entirely.  That way nobody will even make the connection.

Vandalism was a big fear of mine.  Plus, a nearby town has a pretty significant percentage of neo-nazi types.  I wouldn't want to get their attention.

[Perd Hapley]

I didn't know that Cheese was a Jewish name.  If you don't mind my asking, where-abouts are these neo-nazis? 

I know this is weird, but groups like that just arouse my curiosity.     I guess I'm interested in weirdos.  Explains why I'm always talking to you folks. 


I'm listening to a Christian radio station right now, and they just advertised a production of Fiddler on the Roof.  FWIW.

[The Annoyed Man]

where-abouts are these neo-nazis? 

There's a bunch of them in Davie, Florida.  It's actually a relatively nice area otherwise.

[seeker_two]

I'm listening to a Christian radio station right now, and they just advertised a production of Fiddler on the Roof.  FWIW.

Which part of the Torah is that found in?...it's kinda like saying "I watched ROOTS once"....

[lee n. field]

Whatever you want.  It's not like the contemporary Exmas holiday and buildup to it has much to do with events in Bethlehem circa 4BC.

[The Annoyed Man]

Which part of the Torah is that found in?...it's kinda like saying "I watched ROOTS once".

It's probably in one of the narratives of the Bamidbar.   

[Scout26]

I'm listening to a Christian radio station right now, and they just advertised a production of Fiddler on the Roof.  FWIW.

Which part of the Torah is that found in?...it's kinda like saying "I watched ROOTS once"....

Hey !!!  Some of my friends are.......

[jrfoxx]

I say if you like putting up lights at that time of year, then knock yourself out.Anyone who thinks you are "stealing thier holiday", or are somehow mocking/defiling a holiday or Christianity, is a complete moron. As for including your last name, just because it is an easily recognized Jewish name, doesnt really tell anyone what religion you are. I have known athiest Jews, Jewish Jews, and Christian jews, and I'm sure lots of other people know of jews who are non-religious, or not nessecarilly followers of Judaism, so I doent think most people will read much into it. Most people are either stupid, unobservant, lazy, or all 3, and are unlikely to make any connection anyways.

As for the local Florida nazi chapter, it is a legit concern, but I suspect nothing would come of it. Not sure most of those idiots can read anyways.

a possible solution for the media is when they ask your name, simply reply with your 1st name only and see if they specifically ask for a last name, and if they do, and it concerns you, just say "I'd nother not say". I doubt they will push the issue at all, or make any kind of big deal about it, it's just a human interest story about lights anyways, not some big,m important story.

[The Annoyed Man]

a possible solution for the media is when they ask your name, simply reply with your 1st name only and see if they specifically ask for a last name, and if they do, and it concerns you, just say "I'd nother not say". I doubt they will push the issue at all, or make any kind of big deal about it

That's what I did last year.  They asked why and I gave them a semi-truthful reason, but didn't tell them that I'm Jewish.

The TV news (NBC) was the only one that really questioned it though.  The producer wasn't sure if they would be able to ensure that they wouldn't say the last name, but they ended up coming through and I appreciated it.

[wmenorr67]

With the internet now a days all anyone really needs is your address.  They could get the rest with just a little finger work.  Don't sweat the small stuff.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm listening to a Christian radio station right now, and they just advertised a production of Fiddler on the Roof.  FWIW.

Which part of the Torah is that found in?...it's kinda like saying "I watched ROOTS once"....

What did you think I was trying to say?  I guess I just found it to be a mildly interesting coincidence, and a sign of the way Christian/Jewish relations have changed for the better these days, at least in the U.S.  More a feeling of kinship or admiration than hostility these days, on the Christian side, anyway. 

[The Annoyed Man]

With the internet now a days all anyone really needs is your address.  They could get the rest with just a little finger work.  Don't sweat the small stuff.

My family and I have actually done a pretty good job of making sure that connection can't be made.  It's more for them than for me.  My father keeps the house phone number unlisted and tries to keep the address unlisted or unable to be linked to him because we've had some of his patients call the house or show up at the house in the past trying to get help - which we understand - but they really should be calling the office to get the doctor on call or going to the ER if they're in serious trouble.

So far, there is only one site that lists the address and we've been working to get that listing removed.