When Jesus Crashes the Hanukkah Party
(JTA) — Sure, his birthday usually falls around the same time as Hanukkah, but Jesus and the Jewish holiday generally don’t mix.
This year, however, two Jesus-Hanukkah juxtapositions have been getting a lot of social media attention.
First, there’s Bud Williams, the Springfield, Mass., city counselor who said “Jesus is the reason for the season” — at a menorah lighting.
And there’s the morning host of St. Louis’ Fox affiliate, Kim Kelly Hudson. who sported a T-shirt bearing an image of Jesus on the cross while she interviewed a local rabbi about Hanukkah.
Asked about the T-shirt by Jim Romenesko, via Twitter, Hudson explained that she routinely wears T-shirts promoting local events — this one was for a Christian rap concert the same evening. “No insult was intended,” she said.
Williams seemed surprised at the ruckus, telling MassLive that when folks speak of a “bright light” from 2,000 years ago — as did rabbis at the ceremony — Jesus naturally comes to mind.
“I thought it added something to the service; it didn’t take away,” he said.
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