Merry Xmas

I need to find more time to keep this blog up to date. Tomorrow is Xmas or as I like to say Jews go to the movies day. It's definately my favorite holiday because it is not my holiday. No family dinner, no special long prayers in shul. Just a chance to try and sleep in a bit and have a free day.

I will try and make some good use to it. My Chavruta (study partner) and myself will start get together to learn after the 8 AM minyan tomorrow morning. Later on my wife and I will learn Mishna Rosh Hashana together. (We're learning it in memory of the mother of a co worker of hers)

It's annoying seeing my association putting up Xmas lights for the association (done by allegedly Orthodox board members) but the season is good for reminding us we are a minority and ultimately we are guests of the Christian majority in this country. Many people see Channukah as the Jewish Xmas, but the real message of Channukah is that Jews should not assimilate into the majority culture. We can't combine our culture and theirs.

It's good for us and for our children to feel left out this time of year. Christmas is not a universal holiday of presents and good will. It's a religious holiday of a religion we do not follow. It reminds us that no matter how well our relations our with the Christian owners of this country, we are still different from them. And that's a good thing.