The Christmas Tree

Rabbi Berel Wein was once invited to a meeting with the editor of the Detroit Free Press. After introductions had been made, the editor told him the following story.

His mother, Mary, had immigrated to America from Ireland as an uneducated, 18-year-old peasant girl. She was hired as a domestic maid by an observant family. The head of the house was the president of the neighboring Orthodox shul.

Mary knew nothing about Judaism and had probably never met a Jew before arriving in America. The family went on vacation Mary's first December in America, leaving Mary alone in the house. They were scheduled to return on the night of December 24, and Mary realized that there would be no Christmas tree to greet them when they did. This bothered her greatly, and using the money the family had left her, she went out and purchased not only a Christmas tree but all kinds of festive decorations to hang on the front of the house.

When the family returned from vacation, they saw the Christmas tree through the living room window and the rest of the house festooned with holiday lights. They assumed that they had somehow pulled into the wrong driveway and drove around the block. But alas, it was their address.

The head of the family entered the house contemplating how to explain the Christmas tree and lights to the members of the shul, most of whom walked right past his house on their way to shul. Meanwhile, Mary was eagerly anticipating the family's excitement when they realized that they would not be without a Christmas tree.

After entering the house, the head of the family called Mary into his study. He told her, "In my whole life no one has ever done such a beautiful thing for me as you did." Then he took out a $100 bill -- a very large sum in the middle of the Depression -- and gave it to her. Only after that did he explain that Jews do not have Christmas trees.

When he had finished telling the story, the editor told Rabbi Wein, "And that is why, there has never been an editorial critical of Israel in the Detroit Free Press since I became editor, and never will be as long as I am the editor."

The shul president's reaction to Mary's mistake -- sympathy instead of anger -- was not because he dreamed that one day her son would the editor of a major metropolitan paper, and thus in a position to aid Israel. (Israel was not yet born.) He acted as he did because it was the right thing to do.

That's what it means to be a Kiddush Hashem, to sanctify God's Name. It is a goal to which we can all strive.

Exclusive ACLU Area In Hell

Preparations for an ACLU-only area in Hell are nearly complete, underground construction sources said yesterday. The area, more than 3 square miles of “hotter than usual” turf, will hold members of the American Civil Liberties Union, an organization whose sole objective has become the elimination of Christmas.

“There’s a mini-volcano there burping up hot lava and everything,” said an anonymous worker of Otherworldly Construction, Inc. The company recently sold its soul to the devil for the exclusive, no-bid offer to expand Hell, to be featured in the most recent issue of Architectural Digest, hot off the presses.

A spokesman for the construction company worried that “Hell may be too good for these folks. When they move down here property values are going to fall below the basement. And when their neighbors find out 40,000 lawyers are living next door, they’re going to get pretty hot under the collar, let me tell you.”

Analysts estimated the ACLU expansion of Hell will increase 10 sq. feet for every nativity scene removed or anytime someone is forced to say “Happy Winter Solstice” instead of “Merry Christmas.”

ACLU members working to remove “GOD” from the Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. coinage can expect their own separate inferno.

Otherworldly Construction, Inc. says their next project will be the federal judges’ condominium, named Endless Torment Terrace. Nothing special, according to the builders, just the regulation fiery pit accommodations.

What a lovely story. I fondly remember the school Christmas programs of my youth. We sang the traditional Christmas carols and even a few Jewish songs for Hanukkah. And wonder of wonders, the walls did not fall down nor did riots break out. Just Americans coming together to celebrate the holiday season and a sharing of ones faith with others. In high school our a Capella chorus ended the program with Handel's Messiah. Wow, how times have changed.

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