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.

'""tii
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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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