Strauss: Be proud of Jewish heritage during holidays

Christmastime is here, and that means everyone who’s in the holiday spirit will start asking, “Did you put your tree up?” and “Are you ready for Christmas?” Christmastime is here, and that means everyone who’s in the holiday spirit will start asking, “Did you put your tree up?” and “Are you ready for Christmas?” It’s the time of year when Jews like me need politely and confidently to respond, “I’m Jewish, so I celebrate Hanukkah, but yes, we put our menorah out, and I’m excited. What about you?” Some Jews, however, reply with a simple, “Yes,” too embarrassed to admit they’re Jewish, or too tired of explaining themselves every time they mention their religion.

Now that Santa’s set up shop in malls across America and neighborhoods are aglow with Christmas lights, Jews often resign themselves to accepting the above questions and holiday greetings — if only so something like a quick trip to Macy’s doesn’t turn into an impromptu Sunday School session. But to everyone considering this option I say: Don’t give in. Be proud to proclaim, “I’m Jewish!”

There are also people who know you’re Jewish and ask if you celebrate Christmas anyway. “No,” I respond. “I’m Jewish.” Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, not Christmas — not Christmas and Hanukkah — Hanukkah. “But isn’t it hard,” they ask, “with everyone else celebrating Christmas? You don’t even get any presents on Christmas?” No. No, it’s not hard, but you’re making it hard. No, I don’t get any presents on Christmas because I’m Jewish, and I received presents during the eight nights of Hanukkah. I got an iPod, some sweaters and a boatload of new socks and underwear. I had my holiday fun and now it’s time for you to have yours. Please, stop emphasizing the fact that I’m a freakishly different member of a minority with a big nose like mega-stars Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler.

One major reason for the holiday season’s inevitable awkwardness is Chrismukkah. Some members of the media — including TV shows like “The O.C.” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” as well as Time Magazine — have embraced Chrismukkah, a Christmas-Hanukkah hybrid. But it’s not a legitimate celebration, and only confuses non-Jews — causing them to ask some of the aforementioned questions.

In my own household, we’ve kicked out the Hanukkah bush — a bush that mimics the Christmas tree and has no significance to the Jewish holiday — and have resisted the urge to cover our house in lights (something my mother is still tempted to do every year). I can hear protests forming now: “What’s wrong with a harmless tree and some lights?” The lights, however, enticing as they might be, replaced the candles with which Christians decorated their Christmas trees and eventually found their way outside. Sure, Jews celebrate the Festival of Lights, but it’s a minor holiday that’s all about the candles. If any Jewish holiday would be rainbow-light worthy, it would be Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Of course, many Jewish people have, in fact, adopted a number of Yuletide practices. Christmas, in some ways, is a global festival in which all Americans participate — I’m eating a candy cane as I type this. Jews have created their own traditions for the day, like eating Chinese food, going to the movies and volunteering. My mom and I have participated in Pittsburgh’s Mitzvah Day for the past five years. Across the U.S., thousands upon thousands of Jews perform mitzvahs — good deeds — on Christmas, from serving Christmas meals to delivering presents to the less fortunate. Heck, Jewish people have even written some of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, such as Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” We’re definitely down with Rudolph and strings of lights adorning every nook and cranny of our town.

However, there are only 5.2 million Jewish Americans — less than 2 percent of the country’s population — and only 4.3 million of them attend Passover Seders and light Hanukkah candles, according to the National Jewish Population Survey. Thus, some of us need to be more assertive concerning our Old Testament beliefs. December is the perfect time to take a stand. Although Hanukkah is a minor holiday in Judaism, it’s important for Jewish American children to have a December present-receiving celebration. It’s also important because it’s the time each year when Jews can affirm their identity and culture, and spurn assimilation.

So Jews, light your candles, wish the grocery store cashier “Happy Holidays!” and don’t shy away from using this holiday-riddled month as an opportunity to show and tell people what Judaism is all about. And if you don’t get the chance this year, don’t worry — April, the month of Passover and Easter, is fast approaching.

Write Courtney at cas136@pitt.edu.