Dec

24

Christmas is good for the Jews

December 24, 2005 |

In this Op-ed that was in the Jerusalem post this weekend Daniel Gordis, vice-president of the Mandel Foundation, eloquently argues that while Jews can thrive anywhere, it is only in Israel that we are home.

Thus, Jerry Falwell reminds us: Because America is so Christian, Israel matters ever more. Not because it is so powerful, but because it is so Jewish. The point is not that one can’t live a meaningful and creative Jewish life in the States, for one obviously can. Or that Jewish life in Israel is sufficiently rich, because it isn’t.

The point, rather, is that the latest attempt to re-Christianize Christmas could well be a good thing. It could help us assess more accurately what we’re up against in America, and provide clarity on why a richly Jewish Israel matters so deeply.

Imagine: Jerry Falwell gets all worked up, and the Jews become more serious about Jewish education and increasingly aware of why their one and only state matters. Might we be on the verge of another “holiday season” miracle?

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