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That

Christmas

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Spirit

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Some Jews enjoy Christmas traditions
without compromising their Jewish faith.

Jennifer Lovy

T

o some Jews, Christmas
is just another day —
albeit a day off from
work or school, and a day where
almost everything is closed. For
others, it's a chance to volunteer.
For those who have relatives cel-
ebrating the holiday, it can be an
opportunity to spend meaningful
time with family.
Christmas, like any holiday,
is steeped in traditions, even for
members of the Jewish com-
munity. Judging by the crowds at
the movie theaters and Chinese
restaurants, it's safe to say that egg
rolls and popcorn are among the
most common Jewish
Christmas practices.
Metro Detroiters
Lisa Feldberg, Dorene
Finer and Beth Peedee
Freund are just a few
examples of Jews who
have their own cus-
toms of bringing some
of the traditions asso-
ciated with Christmas
into their lives without
compromising their
own faith.
For example,
Feldberg of
Birmingham and her
family join friends for
what they call a Jewish
Christmas Eve dinner.
They bring brisket,
kugel and soup to
their friends' house
every year on Dec. 24.
Three families gather
for this now-ritual
The Rosen girls and the Katz boys at a Christmas
Jewish Christmas din-
past at Kalahari Waterpark
ner. Two are Jewish.

Contributing Writer

24

December 15 2016

The tradition of getting together
began about 20 years ago, when
the Feldbergs helped those friends
decorate their Christmas tree.
"After we had kids, we began
going to their house for din-
ner on Christmas Eve recalled
Feldberg. "We bring the Jewish
traditions in terms of food and a
menorah if Christmas happens to
overlap with Chanukah. We don't
celebrate Christmas, but we get
to enjoy some of the fun of our
friends' traditions:'
Dorene Finer, a retired teacher
from West Bloomfield, also spends
Christmas Eve at a friend's house.
While most guests drop by before
attending mass or celebrating
Christmas elsewhere, Finer joked
that she and her husband are the
only ones who spend the entire
evening there because they obvi-
ously don't go to church.
She also gets into the Christmas
spirit by making cookies every
year with on old friend who does
celebrate Christmas. Finer makes
dozens of cookies for some of
her non-Jewish friends. She says
her excitement for the festivity of
the holiday dates back nearly 60
years, when she started helping
that childhood friend decorate
her house and tree. Their get-
togethers evolved into cookie
making. They've made a point
to continue the cookie-baking
tradition. Finer said she also gets
into the Christmas spirit by giv-
ing Christmas-themed gifts to her
friends who celebrate.
Freund's Christmas dinner
tradition also dates to her child-
hood when her parents opened

The lights at last year's Wayne County Lightfest on Hines Drive

their home to friends and family
members on Dec. 25. Freund's
dinners aren't Christmas dinners,
but they are held on Christmas
Day, providing a spot for friends
and family to get together.
"I think my parents started
hosting dinners on Christmas
because they liked the concept
of peace on earth and the festive
nature of the holiday season:'
said Freund, who grew up with
a Christmas tree in her house
despite both her parents being
Jewish.
She does not put up a tree in
her house but enjoys entertain-
ing; typically, 20 to 30 guests
attend. And, each year, the menu
includes a 20-pound turkey and
assortment of other foods, all
served buffet-style in her West
Bloomfield home.

OTHER TRADITIONS
Other local members of the
Jewish community described
some of the ways they get into the
Christmas spirit without celebrat-
ing Christmas.
Rachel Ellis of West Bloomfield
said one of her family's favorite
activities is putting on their paja-
mas, covering up with blankets
and driving around on Christmas
Eve to look at Christmas lights.
They bring popcorn and hot choc-
olate and sing along to Christmas
songs in the car.
As a child, my parents always
brought my siblings and me to the
mall to meet Santa, so we wouldn't
feel left out:' she said. "And when-
ever we sat on his lap, we would
tell him we were Jewish and didn't

celebrate Christmas, but if he
wanted to bring us something for
Chanukah, our parents would be
OK with it:'
Susan Vainik of Franklin said
she likes to drive through the
Wayne County Lightfest on Hines
Drive in Westland. She also enjoys
Christmas movies such as It's a
Wonderful Life and A Christmas
Story, and she loves listening to
Christmas music.
Caryn Loughlin of Livonia joins
nine other women in a cookie
exchange. The majority of the
women participating are Jewish.
Loughlin says they enjoy this
Christmas ritual because it's fun
getting together with friends and
participating in their own tradi-
tion of sharing delicious food.
Jeff and Addy Katz of West
Bloomfield used to join a caravan
of 10 families and trek to Kalahari
Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio, on
the morning of Dec. 24. While
there, they saw other Jewish
families also enjoying the indoor
waterpark. After spending the
night, they would return home
and order Chinese food together.
However, among their group
of friends, many, like the Katz
family, stopped last year because
their kids participate in BBYO's
regional convention, which takes
place over winter break.
Their Christmas-time tra-
ditions also include seeing
Christmas lights. They recently
went Downtown to see the tree
lighting ceremony at Campus
Martius Park. They have also
gone to the Toledo and Detroit
zoos for their light displays. *