'Tis not the season at Sea-Tac Airport (Christmas Trees to Come Down at Seattle Airport)

Maybe "nutcase" was too harsh. But it seemed his organization makes this type of threat their "mission".

Singling out an airport in mid-december, particularly in this post-9/11 world, is nuts. I would hope Sea-Tac has many more important things to worry about than how to appease someone pretending to be offended by the omission of a menorah from a secular display intended to help keep traveller's spirits up. (They have had the same holiday display for 10 years.)

They should have targeted a village hall if they wanted better publicity. I wonder if they approached the airport officials earlier in the year for a reasonable discussion, or just jumped to the threat of litigation?

But it seemed his organization makes this type of threat their "mission".

This organization has been putting up menorahs in public places for many years. This is the first time they have attacked with lawyers. This was a very stupid decision which the rabbi now regrets, and has done so much damage as to destroy all the decades of hard work and good will.

First of all you guys seem to love making comments without any facts. I am Lubavitch and I can tell you a few things. First of all- legally the Rabbi was on solid grounds to make this request. Precident has been set with allowing menorahs and almost every case is won outright when it gets to court. I know plenty of lawyers who took one look at this and saw a closed case in the Rabbi's favor. Second of all- HE NEVER ASKED THEM TO TAKE DOWN THE TREES! You people should be venting your anger on the airport. They were trying to skirt around the law by taking the tress down because than legally they did not have to put up the menorah.

What the Rabbi asked- weeks before this he approached them about putting up a menorah as legally its legit to do. He would provide the menorah- the airport wouldn't spend a penny. The airport put him off. Realize every major airport has menorahs up with their holiday displays. When the airport kept stalling he said, thats fine, I will bring in a lawyer who will file for you to put it up. Again- it will cost them nothing to do it, the Rabbi is not asking them to even buy the menorah. THE AIRPORT than responded by taking down the trees cause they didn't want to deal with it now as they waited so long its already a week before Channukah. It was a way to skirt around the law! The legal precident IS that the law sees the menorah not as a religious symbol but equal to an x-mas tree.

The Rabbi is NOT backpeddling by saying he was appalled by the airports decision. He REALLY is! I know plenty of people who know him personally. You better bet the lawyer is going to fight now that both should be put back up! NO LUBAVITCHER WANTS TO RUIN X-MAS. What we want to do is bring out those unaffiliated Jews and teach them about Judaism.

"No, I'm not Jewish at all. Somehow a cult convinced my sister that she is however. My mothers ancestors were English Puritans who came over on the next boat after the mayflower. Both sides of my family left Europe for religious freedom. Its just sad to see the Christmas tree get banned as too offensive or that every religion in the world has to get a symbol up any time we want to celebrate our national holidays. What next a goats head for the Satanists and giant pot leaves for the Rastafarians. Is it too much to say that this Nation was founded by a Christian majority and still to this day has a Christian majority and this being the case has traditionally only celebrated Christian holidays?"

Here's a little food for thought. Christmas wasn't widely celebrated in America before the 1800s. It was banned by law in some places (Massachusetts, for one). The Puritans believed it to be a pagan celebration. The trees originated in Germany as "paradise trees," IIRC (some say "Yule trees").

It's an interesting study.

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