Jews and Christmas
'The Book of the Generations/History/Life of Jesus'), a popular text among medieval and early modern Jews which attacks the Christian mythology of Christ through parody.
[4] According to Marc B. Shapiro, the word Christmas does not appear in rabbinic literature, in adherence to the Halakhic prohibition of mentioning the name of an idolatrous holiday if that name represents the idol in question as divine or sovereign.
[5] This practice, which began in the early modern period, was accompanied by various other traditions on the same night including sexual abstinence, consumption of garlic, and social gatherings.
The practice began as far back as the 19th century; the proximity of Jewish and Chinese American communities in Manhattan's Lower East Side helped start the tradition.
[13] During Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham asked the judge during a rather tense exchange where she was on Christmas Day.
[10][14] The Matzo Ball is an annual party held on Christmas Eve in many major cities throughout the United States and Canada, directed toward Jewish singles in their 20s and 30s.
Attendees may go to enjoy the dancing, find a short- or long-term partner, meet new people, hang out with friends, or because they would otherwise be lonely on Christmas Eve.
The term became popular, and Warner Bros. began selling related merchandise, but Catholic League and the New York Board of Rabbis released a joint statement condemning the idea as a "multicultural mess" which they stated was insulting to both Christians and Jews.
[24] During the American Civil War, the men of Keyam Dishmaya viewed the Maccabees of the Hanukkah story as a model for resistance to Jewish assimilation and increasing description of Christmas as "universal" across the United States.
[25] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Christmas decorations and gift exchanges became increasingly popular in the United States, and rabbis were frustrated by many American Jews' incorporation of the same practices into their celebration of Hanukkah.
Rabbis Isaac Mayer Wise and Max Lilienthal responded by creating Hanukkah celebrations designed to appeal to Jewish children, incorporating singing, speeches, and other celebratory activities.
