Meet the Orthodox Jewish Santa who trains America’s Christmas performers
Is it possible to be both a full time Santa and a full time Jew? Rick Rosenthal says yes
Christmas
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Culture Christmas was my favorite holiday — until I got too Jewish
When I was a child, Christmas was my favorite holiday. My dad isn’t Jewish, but that’s not even why we celebrated Christmas; my Jewish mom grew up celebrating too. Her mother had been jealous of how much fun it seemed, so she insisted on having trees and stockings and carols. When I was growing up,…
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Community Why a Jewish American living in Israel is celebrating Christmas
Growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, I was surrounded by Christmas. I was one of five or fewer Jewish students during my years at our 1,000-person high school, where the choir led by sweet Mr. Mix always sang beautiful Christmas songs. I know every word to “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.” (Sometimes, Mr. Mix…
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Culture Why are there so many Christmas trees in Hallmark’s Hanukkah movies?
In the year 2019, a Hanukkah miracle occurred — sort of. In what seemed like a divinely-ordained response to thousands of Jews pleading for a few shreds of Hanukkah content in a sea of Christmas cheer, the Hallmark Channel added two flicks about the Festival of Lights to its infamously corny line-up of holiday movies….
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Food How to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in a pandemic? Ask the Jews.
Across America, families are struggling with how to cope with a holiday season without the traditions they look forward to all year long, and without those they love and are longing to see. Family gatherings for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve simply aren’t safe as COVID-19 cases spike across the nation. I have good…
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The Schmooze Most ‘Merry Christmas’ And ‘Happy Holidays’ Wishes Come From Service Workers. Leave Them Alone.
The choice to die on the whether-or-not-to-say-merry-Christmas hill should be the choice to die abandoned on top of a hill. And yet, tens-of-thousands of people see fit to proclaim their feelings from atop Twitter mountains or Facebook molehills: How ridiculous is it that people say “happy holidays” because saying “merry Christmas” might offend someone. CHRIST…
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The Schmooze Gwyneth Paltrow Hangs Christmas Stockings With Her Jewish Kids
Gwyneth Paltrow enhanced our dull little lives by letting us peek into her holiday celebrations with her family. For Paltrow, who famously “consciously uncoupled” from then-husband Chris Martin in 2014, “family” includes Martin, her new husband Brad Falchuk, and her two children, Apple and Moses. The only way I’d hang a stocking for an ex…
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Community I’m A Rabbi — And I Love Christmas
How do I feel as a rabbi during Christmas? I feel great. First of all, I love Christmas music. The innocent, hopeful melodies, the joyous diddies, the corny jingles — all of them bring smiles to my face. And when they become too cheesy or too much, I change the station. The fact that many…
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