No Need for 'Christmas Dilemma'
MIAMI—An article in the
Miami Herald describes how
some Jews are facing the
"dilemma of December"
again. Their problem is cop-
ing with Christmas, whose
pageantry permeates life at
school, in the stores and on
television.
But it need not be a prob-
lem, a rabbi, a psychologist,
and members of a Jewish
family agree, if Hanuka has
- its proper place in the life of
a Jew.
"The Christmas .season has
never been a problem for me
or my family," said Frede-
ric Scher, an attorney.
he, his wife, Sylvia;
sons, Herb, 13, and Steven,
11; and a daughter, Carolyn,
8, spend every Christmas Eve
at the home of a Christian
friend whose Christmas tree
they help decorate.
They usually eat Christmas
dinner with the friends who,
I LARRY FREEDMAN
Orchestra and Entertaknnent
•
647•236/
don't seem• to be concerned
about their own religion the
rest of the year."
Rabbi Landau feels that 'a
Jewish child who wants a
Christmas tree because his
Christian friends have one
"will not resent being denied
Christmas if in exchange for
one night of Christmas he gets
eight nights of Hanukkah and
his life is filled all year
round with the life of cere-
mony — the lighting of Sab-
bath candles, the Seder (rit-
ual meal at Passover.), the
Kadish (wine toast) and He-
brew songs—in the home."
Rabbi Landau also thinks
that Jewish. parents should
be honest with there kids and
point out the beauty of Christ-
mas, "but do it- in an atmos-
phere of self respect."
He said that Jewish parents
should treat questions about
Christmas somewhat like
they would treat a question
about sex. "Give honest an-
Avers and tell them as much
as they can understand. But
make clear that your family
has its own standards which
may be different, but not in
ferior to those of others."
It might help, the rabbi
said, if Jews pointed out that
without Hanuka there would
have been no Christmas be-
cause the Maccabees pre-
served Judaism, out of which
Christianity later grew.
in turn, have the Passover
Seder in the Scher home.
But his wife, "Sissy,"
thinks its a little tougher on
their kids than it was. for the
adults when they were grow-
ing up because "Christmas is
so much more commercial
now."
Nevertheless, Herb thinks
that he and his brother and
sister are better prepared for
the "dilemma' because of the
training they get at the after-
noon Hebrew school and Sun-
day school of the Beth David
Congregation.
"I understand what Christ.
mas is, and I understand
Hanuka, and I always look
forward to Hanuka," he said
"I think of the story of Hanu-
ka all during the holiday."
The Scher's spiritual leader
at Beth David, Rabbi Sol
Landau, also feels that the
family's attitude is a healthy
one from 'a religious stand-
point.
"There are problems only
when the parents have pro-
blems because they are not
sure how they stand as
Jews," commented the rabbi.
"Those who are sensitive
about Christmas oarols in
school are usually those who
The Creative Touch in Fine Photography'
Kuwaiti Hits Iraq
for Its `Aggression'
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TEL AVIV — The chair-
man of the foreign affairs
committee of the Kuwaiti
house of delegates, Abdel
Aziz al-Mosaid, recently ac-
cused Iraq of trying to take
over two Kuwaiti islands in
the Persian Gulf.
It was reported here that
Mosaid said Iraqi forces have
advanced more than a mile
inside Kuwaiti territory after
paving a military road in,the
area approaching the islands
of Warba and Bobiana.
Mosaid said relations be-
tween the two countries were
strained.
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New York Times Editorial, Israel. He did not add the tra- with Israel draws closer. The
ditional Arab demand, unac- Egyptian leader warns that
Dec. 10, 1974
Cairo's latest statement of ceptable to Israel, that these the region is like a bomb
terms for making peace with refugees be permitted to re- ready to explode, which is
Israel seem on their face ill- turn to their homes if they so long has been. Precisely be-
timed in presentation and chose. Even the suggestion cause these pressures and
absurd in. content. A sweep- that the United Nations parti- the imminence of conflict are
ing official declaration came tion plan of 1947 be revived such a way of life in the
without warning last week, in is not to be 'automatically re- Middle East, every possible
the midst of a sensitive and jected—if it is understood to diplomatic opening: deserves
far less 'ambitious mediation mean the principle of parti- the most thorough explora-
effort by Secretary of State tion between a Jewish and an tion; nothing in the Mideast
Kissinger. Commanding all Arab state as voted by the can be taken at face value.
the headlines based on this General Assembly, recogniz-
statement was the ridiculous ing that the old gerryman- THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, Dec. 27, 1974-37
and presumptuous demand dered borders drawn then are
that Israel "freeze" her pres- now unworkable.
The leaders of the Middle
ent population level and sus-
pend all further immigration. East are juggling uncount-
American diplomats were un- able pressures 'at the same
derstandably upset at this time; Mr. Sadat's interests
unexpetted ploy; the Israelis and those of his ally, Syria,
can hardly be blamed for do not coincide, particularly
treating the immigration de- as the prciipect of negotiating
mand with contempt.
Before dismissing Foreign
Minister Fahmi's statements
altogether, however, there is
just the slightest chance that
something worthwhile can be
drawn from his extraordinary
remarks. President Sadat
certainly wasted no time in
telling 'an Iranian interviewer
that nothing has changed
Egypt's interest in Secretary
Kissinger's mediation effort.
This step-by-step mediation
was formulated only because
the achievement of a compre-
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Except for the_ immigration
ban, many of_ the conditions
listed by Mr. – Fahmi appear
almost innocuous. . In the con-
text of peace, Israeli leaders
should have no trouble re-
nouncing "expansionist de-
signs," since they deny har-
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but if the reward were a real
peace treaty, with all the ap-
propriate safeguards, even
this demand might look
somewhat more interesting.
Mr. Fahmi called on Israel
to pay compensation to Pales-
tinians who lost their homes
in what is now the state of
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A Bolt Comes From Cairo
NEW YORK—A group of
350 teenagers, elderly men,
women and college students
were brought face-to-face to
exchange their views and
broaden their knowledge and
experience in a number of
areas concerning Jewish life
at the first intergenerational
seminar held' by Yeshiva
University's Brookdale Re-
treat Program.
The six-day seminar was
held at Lido Beach, New
York.
In an informal atmosphere
which allowed for group and
one-on-one dialogue, the teen-
agers and elderly took up a
number of contemporary is-
sues involving the Jewish
community.
Teenagers focused a good
deal on the subject of anti-
Semitism and got a variety
of answers from those in their
sixties, seventies and eight-
ies.
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