When are you planning to decorate for Christmas this year?

[MauEvig]

I think the easiest thing for me to do would be to just incorporate some Jewish traditions into Christmas itself. Christmas already has a lot of pagan traditions, so borrowing some from other religions would be just fine with me.

I'd like to celebrate Hannukah and Passover one day. I don't seem to have the time or the money to do so, and I already put a lot of effort into the more secular holidays.

[Murfreesboro]

I think both Hannukah and Passover would incorporate well into Christian religious holidays. The Festival of Lights at Hannakuh is not too different from lighting Advent candles, which I do for the four weeks leading up to Christmas. And Easter, of course, is just the Christian Passover. It doesn't even make much sense unless you see it in its Old Testament context of the Jewish Passover. At least, I think it has more dimension if you see it that way. So I think incorporating Jewish traditions, like a seder (that's the name for the Passover supper, right?), would actually be educational for Christians. I expect Jesus's Last Supper, which is the basis for our Communion, was a seder. At least, I imagine it that way.

[Andybev01]

One of my sisters is Jewish by marriage and conversion, she loves the ritual and history of their faith.

[Murfreesboro]

I love learning about Judaism because, whatever else Jesus was, He was Jewish. I have never really "gotten" the animosity between the two faiths.

[Andybev01]

I love learning about Judaism because, whatever else Jesus was, He was Jewish. I have never really "gotten" the animosity between the two faiths.

Well, there was that bad Easter weekend some years ago...

[Murfreesboro]

LOL, well, I don't think all the Jews should be blamed for that one. There were factions back then just as there are today. All the first disciples were Jewish, too, as well as Paul.

[Andybev01]

I went to a popular depot that deals in home products to return some multi-function Christmas lights that were irritating enough to cause epileptic seizures, and saw this on the shelf, last one, no tag.

It's a piece produced by slave labor, for a company headed by a citizen of Long Island, Connecticut and upstate New York...

I took it to a clerk and asked if she could look it up.

She tried but came up empty, so she looked at me and said "it's a gift".
Score !

[MauEvig]

Beautiful wreath you've got there Andy! That's awesome that they gave that to you!

Murf I think the entire thing with the Jews and the Christians revolves around the belief in whether or not Jesus is truly the Messiah. The Jews believe the Messiah is something that has not come yet, while Christians believe the Messiah was Jesus.

A good resource for learning about Judaism is a really cool website called Judaism 101. You can visit it here: http://www.jewfaq.org/index.shtml I learned a lot from the different beliefs, to the different traditions and practices of a Jew. Because of my own ancestry, I took an interest in it to research it. Like a lot of religions though, there are some things I agree with, and some things I don't.

The really complicated part of Judaism I think, is the fact that it's a very cultural/heritage type of religion. Unlike Christianity which is freely spread among people who aren't Jewish, or Gentiles, most people who are Jewish are born into the religion, although a "formal" conversion process can happen if a Gentile wishes to become a Jew.

There's also a sect of Judaism that's really interesting...the Messianic Jews who are still Jews, but have decided that Jesus really is the Messiah, though some Jewish communities may outcast them for the belief. The Orthodox Jews look down upon this though. But according to a Messianic Rabbi I talked to, if a Jewish man marries a Non-Jewish woman, she becomes Jewish, and any offspring she has are Jewish. Even if the father is a non-Jew, any children a Jewish woman has will be Jews. According to this logic, that means I'd qualify as a full-Jew, but I'm afraid there are some people who would dispute this fact. I've grown up mostly in a Christian/Secular environment, but sometimes my Grandma would refer to something as Kosher or bring up a Jewish belief or Tradition. But she's very religious, and deeply ingrained in the Bible and the Christian religion. My Great-Grandfather was a very brave individual for wanting to marry a Gentile Christian woman, and convert to Christianity. He became a Messianic Jew. Now, my Grandma also said this...and I think you'd like this Murf. Anyone who becomes a Christian also becomes a Jew according to her belief, because anyone who accepts Jesus as their personal savior becomes adopted into the Abrahamic covenant with God.

Andy since your sister has married a Jewish Man, can you elaborate on this? (Also I laughed at your comment about the "bad Easter weekend" lol)

Now, I am not religious by any means and I practice neither the Christian faith, nor the Jewish faith. I do however, respect both religions and find the entire topic fascinating. Then again, I find just about any religious belief fascinating to learn about.

I do like the idea of lighting candles at least. Maybe just lighting a few candles is enough to pay homage to my Jewish Ancestry, since that's a practice of both Christmas and Hannukah. Still want to learn how to make some of that delicious food they make though.

[Andybev01]

Yes, my sister and her husband are messianic Jews.

Aldo; Happy Hanukkah!

[MauEvig]

Oh cool! Well maybe that's the Messianic Jewish Tradition, since according to the Judaism 101 website, only certain circumstances and certain sects of the religion consider one Jewish through the blood of a Father, Grandfather or Great-Grandfather. In my case, my Jewish blood comes from my Great-Grandfather, so the Orthodox Jews might not consider me Jewish unless I converted.

I think the traditions are really cool though, and I can see how you can incorporate Christian and Jewish traditions together, like Murf said.

Happy Hannukah! Is it that time already? I've never really celebrated it, I understand the Jewish belief is that a new day begins at Sundown. It says the first day of Hannukah is the 17th but I can't remember if it actually means it starts tonight at Sundown, or tomorrow at Sundown.

Be sure to Grab your Yamaka! It's time for Hannukah!

[Murfreesboro]

Interesting insights. I have heard of Messianic Jews.


I have some Jewish ancestry, too, but it's farther back than yours, Mau. One of my German ancestors back in the 19th century was a German Jew who married a Christian on this side of the Atlantic. I guess he completely re-invented himself over here!

I'm pretty sure Hannukah started at sundown on the 16th this year.

That wreath is gorgeous, Andy!

[Andybev01]

I finally got a good photo of the tree at work !

The auto focus couldn't, focus.

[Murfreesboro]

What a pretty office tree!

[Andybev01]

Thank you.

Don't let it's delicate facade fool you, its almost 10 feet tall.

[Murfreesboro]

Wow!