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The Jewish Relationship with Christmas
israel Monitor ^ | 12/25/2013 | Norma Zager

Posted on 12/26/2013 11:35:36 AM PST by Ari Bussel

Christmas day is usually a pretty quiet affair for Jewish people. Most spend it as a day to relax and catch up, watch movies, go to friends, eat Chinese food, have family over or just simply listen to Christmas music and read the ads for the after-Christmas sales.

I seem to find myself in a rather introspective mood this Yuletide season. Perhaps it is age creeping upon me, but I question the most basic issues, actually non-issues, and I can’t find answers. Perhaps others can supply the information I seek.

First and foremost why is it that Christmas songs are still written in the same tenor and inspirational tone, but there hasn’t been a decent Christmas movie since The Christmas Story?

The airwaves seem to be filled with hacky movies with a Christmas tree and nod to Santa Claus. These movies are so formula and comical it makes one wonder if two-year olds are writing these offerings.

Let’s see; boy meets girl, girl meets Santa, Santa fixes up girl and boy and then boy loses girl but then Santa makes everything all better. Wait a minute wasn’t that actually Miracle on 34th Street?

Perhaps it’s just that the actors of today are not Natalie Wood, Maureen O’Hara or Jimmy Stewart! It just isn’t the same as hearing that tingle when Clarence got his wings or Tiny Tim says, “God bless us everyone.”

But aside from the hacky warmed-over Christmas fare one is subjected to this time of year, there is a serious question that should be addressed.

Why, with all the pictures of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem being shown on the news there is no mention of the fact that Bethlehem is now forbidden to Israelis?

That the churches in Muslim areas have been desecrated and destroyed, and that thousands of Christians are being murdered daily throughout the Middle East in an ethnic cleansing exercise by the radical Islamic world.

The PR machine of the radical Muslims apparently has once again managed to blind the world to the truth, cover their behavior with whipped cream and color it with a cherry on top.

I guess oil money can buy the best Madison Avenue has to offer and that grey flannel suit must be gold lined by now.

And the lies keep on a coming.

Israel, the only country in the Middle East where all are safe to exercise religious freedom, is being pressured by the United States to make concessions to those who call themselves “Palestinians” that would further ensure loss of religious freedoms.

How can you make a deal with a people who deny your right to exist? Shouldn’t that be the first requisite for peace talks?

So what is the point Norma, you ask? Just this.

Despite successful Palestinian narratives that rewrite the facts of history, the Jews and Christians for the first time are waking up to the fact they now have a common enemy. And oh also, Jesus was Jewish.

As in 600 AD there is a Christian and Muslim war heating up to epic proportions.

I am seeing for the first time in thousands of years, the words Judeo-Christian joined together as the key to dealing with horrific reality they are facing.

The Christian world – not the Catholic Church of course, but many –understands now the fact that as long as Israel is controlled by the Jewish people, Christianity is safe.

And the Jewish people also understand that in the Christian world they now finally have a powerful ally against the forces that seek to destroy them.

As the governments of the world, including the United States, ignore the fact that Christian children are being murdered daily in cold blood, the Judeo-Christian world must unite and stand up to the evil that is headed in their direction.

So, do the Jewish people have a relationship with Jesus and should it affect this new coalition?

Is Christmas just another great shopping opportunity? Or just perhaps it’s a family thing.

Kind of hard not to be a little proud of a family member that has done as well as Jesus.

Jewish families are nothing if not protective of family.

Perhaps it is time for the Jewish and Christian world to put aside their family squabbles and stand together against a common enemy poised upon their annihilation.

As in all families there will be arguments; who should pay, what should be done, whose responsibility is Uncle Albert? Yet, I am hopeful that one day, just as we will see a better crop of holiday movies, we will see the Judeo-Christian world unite to overcome the greatest enemy they have ever encountered.

Maybe this is the Christmas to do just that. If you don’t agree well then, Happy Shopping!


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Israel
KEYWORDS: aipac; christmas; jesus; judeochristian; radicalislam
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To: Ari Bussel
eat Chinese food

I had to laugh when I read that. Shortly after I got married I entered graduate school. On my bride's and my first Christmas together, I wanted to take her out to dinner. I phoned around the University area to find a restaurant that was open. The only one open was a Chinese restaurant, so we went there.

41 posted on 12/26/2013 1:24:13 PM PST by JoeFromSidney
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To: subterfuge; editor-surveyor
I have never in my life met one, single Christian --- Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical or Protestant --- that wanted to cover up that Jesus was Jewish.

Maybe it's different on some distant island or some lost cove deep, deep in the mountains. What say, surveyor?

42 posted on 12/26/2013 1:24:54 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ( "It's all been satirized for your protection." - Bill Maher)
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To: Ari Bussel
They “simply listen to Christmas music”? That doesn't make sense,any more than it does for a Christian in Israel to participate in any was during Passover,etc.
43 posted on 12/26/2013 1:30:26 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Osama Obama Care: A Religion That Will Have You On Your Knees!)
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To: editor-surveyor; marron

In Mark 6:3, we get the same word [tekton= carpenter, builder] that was used to describe Jesus’ foster-father, describing Jesus himself. (”Is this not the carpenter?”).


44 posted on 12/26/2013 1:33:38 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ( "It's all been satirized for your protection." - Bill Maher)
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To: Ari Bussel

I agree — the “kids” need to stop squabbling in the sandbox while the Islamic wolf is circling around for a kill. We have too much in common not to get along better.


45 posted on 12/26/2013 1:41:32 PM PST by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Me neither. Jesus was a Jew, and as Christ, had to invent Christianity. He became Christian.

Hard sell in those days, but he pulled it off.

46 posted on 12/26/2013 1:41:53 PM PST by txhurl
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To: editor-surveyor

As a Christian, I love my jewish brothers. But as long as they keep voting for evil people like obama , Shumer and Bloomberg I’ll not worry about them much. Looks like you stewed over my comments for a few posts then got allittle emotional. I understand.


47 posted on 12/26/2013 1:43:10 PM PST by subterfuge (CBS NBC ABC FOX AP-- all no different than Pravda.)
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To: RobinOfKingston

I believe an /s is only needed if the tome is weak. Thanks for reading my words as they were intended.
There must be a Crusade to drive the muslim hoard back into the desert. It is coming, soon.


48 posted on 12/26/2013 2:23:58 PM PST by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: editor-surveyor

Yeshua? Why not just use the name Jesus? You sound a little uppity for my taste sir.


49 posted on 12/26/2013 2:34:54 PM PST by mc5cents (Pray for America)
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To: RobinOfKingston

Amen. And btw, like your tagline. :-)


50 posted on 12/26/2013 2:39:46 PM PST by mc5cents (Pray for America)
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To: mc5cents

Yeshua is his name.

Jesus is a false name created in the early 17th century for the KJV Bible, to hide his real name.

Every Greek MS known has his name as Yeshua (Joshua, with the original ‘soft’ J)

Why don’t we change your name?


51 posted on 12/26/2013 2:42:26 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

Jesus is a false name? Really? Oh, my.


52 posted on 12/26/2013 2:46:37 PM PST by mc5cents (Pray for America)
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To: editor-surveyor; mc5cents
Most of us realize that names change spelling and pronunciaton in different languages. Still the same name. For instance:

Peter - English

Petros - Greek

Kephas (Cephas) - Aramaic

Petrus - Latin

Piotr - Polish

Pierre - French

Pietro - Italian

Same name. Nobody's hiding or falsifying anything.

53 posted on 12/26/2013 2:56:09 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ( "It's all been satirized for your protection." - Bill Maher)
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To: editor-surveyor
See here.
54 posted on 12/26/2013 2:57:03 PM PST by mc5cents (Pray for America)
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To: editor-surveyor
You really ought not to press this argument, editor, since anyone can google "Jesus" and get the translation into a whole range of languages, Aramaic, Arabic, Syriac, what-have-you. His name was on the Cross three times: in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Do you suppose it was spelled the same in all three inscriptions?

This idea that "Jesus" is a 17th century pseudonym meant to cover his Jewishness, is nonsense and just makes you sound paranoid. It would show a better grasp of the evidence, just to say "I prefer Yeshua, but of course translations and transliterations are fine as well."

55 posted on 12/26/2013 3:45:54 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (God's grace has been revealed, and has made salvation possible for the whole human race. (Titus 2)
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To: editor-surveyor

Did you know that not only was Jesus Jewish, but so was Mary? And all aunts, uncles, cousins etc?

And when we pray and say, “In Jesus’ name we pray” we’re praying to a Jewish carpenter - asking him to intercede for us?


56 posted on 12/26/2013 4:13:00 PM PST by GOPJ ("Remember who the real enemy is... ")
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To: Mrs. Don-o

The name “Jesus” was never said, read, nor heard until the 17th century.

The Hebrews, Aramaics and Greeks used the same phonic rendition of his name, differing only in the characters used to generate that particular phonic. (Greek always added an s sound to most names)

How do you suppose the early English translators managed to get it right only for Joshua?


57 posted on 12/26/2013 4:15:53 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: GOPJ

Are you bored today?


58 posted on 12/26/2013 4:16:41 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor
Yeah, if you don't count "Jesu."

Really, I wish you well and realize I might as well stop belaboring the obvious.

In the 12 Days of Christmas, we still have 10 more days of it, until Epiphany. So Merry Christmas, editor-surveyor!

59 posted on 12/26/2013 4:45:11 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (God's grace has been revealed, and has made salvation possible for the whole human race. (Titus 2)
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To: Louis Foxwell
"True God"

So the God the Jews worshipped was a false God? Remember, the Jews were the first monotheistic religion. Was there no God before Jesus was born? If there was, then the Jews worshipped him.

60 posted on 12/26/2013 5:01:29 PM PST by driftless2
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