a
The
Halloween
Controversy
What's It All About?
n
BY LYNNE
KONSTANTIN
With roots in the Catholic Church and
Celtic Ireland, Halloween is indeed a
tricky time for Jews who want to join in
Above: Emily Sam Nusbaum of West
Bloomfield sprouted into a pumpkin last
year on her first Halloween.
the fun. The word itself is a contracted
corruption of All Hallow's Eve, which
precedes the Nov. 1 holiday of All
Right: Dr. Frankenstein's protege (Evan
Bloom, 10) turned up in West Bloomfield
Hollows Day, or All Saints Day, the
Catholic day of observance in honor of
in 2004. Below: The previous year, Evan's
sister, Rebecca, 6, turned sinister.
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saints. On the following day, All Souls
Day, European Christians would go
"souling," begging for "soul cakes" or
square bread with currants. In
exchange, the beggars would pray for
the souls of the givers' dead relatives to
pass safely into heaven.
In fifth-century B.C.E. Celtic Ireland,
Oct. 31 marked the official end of sum-
mer, and Samhain, the Celtic New Year,
was celebrated with festivities, harvest
and the lighting of bonfires to ward
Gabe, 1, Danny,
Ari, 3, and
Sherrie Singer of
West Bloomfield
make it a family
affair in 2004.
away evil spirits.
Eventually, after the Romans assimi-
lated this practice in the first century
C.E. and as the belief in spirit posses-
sion waned, the holiday became more
focused on ceremonial masquerading
as hobgoblins, witches and ghosts. And
when Irish immigrants brought the cus-
tom to America in the 1840s, pranks
were added to the list.
Which begs the question: Can Jews
celebrate Halloween? Is it pop culture
or pagan ritual? We asked three local
clergy members for their thoughts.
REFORM Rabbi Jennifer Tisdale of
Temple Israel in West Bloomfield:
'When Reform Jews participate in
Halloween, they're doing so without any
religious connotations whatsoever. As
Americans, we like to participate in the
culture of our country; Halloween has
become as much a part of this culture
as Thanksgiving. But it's important for
parents to make a distinction for their
Plumber Tony Levin and his
children that this is not a Jewish holiday
"witchy" sister Jennifer leper,-
Above: Fourteen-month-old Emma
both of Farmington Hills,
Jordyn Gloetzner, of Farmington Hills,
teamed up for Halloween
spread some sunshine amidst last
last year.
October's chill.
Continued on page 20
JNPLATINUM • OCTOBER 2005
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