Never thought I would write those words…
When I was young, Xmas was an anathema to me.
I am a child of parents who survived the Jewish Holocaust.
They lived through horrible times…
Yet, they had good childhoods.
My mom’s father owned a bookstore; she grew up immersed in books and learning.
My dad’s father owned a candle making factory, sold much of their wares to churches.
Both families were well off.
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939 my father was about 30 and my mother was about 16.
Growing up I heard tales of other bad times for the Jews, way before the Nazis, times of pogroms, often initiated during the Christian holidays…
Hence, I associated Xmas with a history of horror for my Jewish ancestors.
My mom had a distain for all religions…
She grew up in a nonreligious Jewish home. She spoke of her family as Bundists, Jewish Socialists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundism
She was well read, I remember she had on her bookshelf: The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Eric Hoffer (1951). And she spoke about the fanaticism of religions.
My father grew up in a religious family, probably Orthodox Jewish. In the US, as I remember it, my father only went to High Holy Days services at the local Synagogue.
My sister and I were brought up in between these 2, I was sent to a Conservative Jewish Hebrew school at my father’s Synagogue, to become a Bar Mitzvah. My sister had some training at a different Synagogue, however, did not become a Bat Mitzvah.
I hated Hebrew School, barely made it through my Bar Mitzvah.
When I was quite young, I asked my mother if she believed in G-d? She answered (paraphrasing here): “How can I believe in G-d, when such an atrocity such as the Jewish Holocaust could happen?”
So, I adopted my mother’s religion, Atheism.
Starting on my road to being a Heretic!
I was not exposed to much antisemitism, I grew up in a town that was about 50% Jewish.
In high school I ran into a young Jewish woman who became a “Jew for Jesus,” her insistent proselytizing gave me my first experience of speaking to a fanatic, I quickly realized there was no dialog or conversation that could occur.
Over time my scientific mind, wanting to learn everything about everything, lead me to look more deeply into my own beliefs.
Reading Huston Smith, The World's Religions, outlining the mysticism at the core of all religions, and later Ken Wilber, led me to explore mysticism in more depth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huston_Smith
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Wilber
When asked about my religion, I would say, “I am an atheist, and when I am feeling religious, I am an agnostic.”
23 years ago, I met my life partner, now wife, who grew up as mostly as an atheist, who then had a desire to explore many religions.
When I asked her about her religion, she said: “I believe in all religions.”
She celebrated Christmas as a winter celebration, not as a Christian holiday.
So, I celebrated with her.
She sings the blessings with me as we light the Hannukah candles.
My sister and my kids are all with non-Jewish partners, so they all celebrate Xmas, but none are religious.
And I like that so many famous Xmas songs were written by Jews:
https://www.kveller.com/11-iconic-christmas-songs-that-were-written-by-jews/
And Jesus was a Jew, probably named Joshua.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus
Probably, he was a religious Jew, i.e., following the Jewish laws, eating kosher, etc.:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halakha
However, he was a Heretic, rebelling against the Jewish elite of his time, preaching love and compassion.
Culturally I am Jewish, therefore, I do not believe that Joshua was the Messiah.
However, I can accept him as a fellow Heretic Teacher.
And as a Jew I can enjoy Xmas, as an extra day off, to hike and maybe eat Chinese food, watch a movie…
I can enjoy others enjoying Xmas…
And just to get Political, I can observe how the MAGA movement is so unlike those following the purported teachings of Jesus.
“A FAITH HIJACKED BY HATE: WHY MAGA CHRISTIANS ARE A CULT OF POWER DISGUISED AS RELIGION”
https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/editorial/faith-hijacked-hate-maga-christians-cult-power-disguised-religion/
Would I have followed Joshua in biblical times?
Probably not, I would likely be my own heretic, and still unknown…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Life_of_Brian
And maybe I just chose a good movie to watch on Xmas!
To all who celebrate have a very Merry Christmas!”
And to all that do not celebrate Xmas, enjoy this day, and each and every day, as a celebration of life!
Namaste
