A Tree-Mendous Interfaith Controversy: Rabbis’ anti-Christmas tree edicts (in Israel) don’t draw holiday cheer

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Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar (both of Jerusalem) also sent letters to hotel managers to remind them that “erecting a Christmas tree in a hotel contravenes halacha [Jewish law] and that therefore it is clear that no one should erect [a tree] in a hotel” . . .
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The reason is that there is a Christmas tree in the dining room (of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology) and Rabbi (Elad) Dokow said flatly: “There is a halachic problem eating in a room where there is a Christmas tree. …The Christmas tree is a religious symbol — not Christian, but even more problematic — pagan. Halacha clearly states that whenever it is possible to circumvent and not pass through a place where there is any kind of idolatry, this must be done” . . .
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Rabbi (Pesach) Wolicki said it is based on a “most extreme opinion which declares Christianity to be pure idolatry” — a view formulated before the Reformation and which “does not necessarily apply to many denominations of today’s Christians — and may not even apply to today’s Catholics ….”
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jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/a-tree-mendous-interfaith-controversy/

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I think the best solution would be for Christian countries to back a new state (covering the whole area of the Holy Land), constitutionally based on tolerance and mutual respect between moderate Muslims, and Catholic and Orthodox Christians (like we find in Syria, and formerly had in Iraq). The current situation with Israel, practising persecution of Christians and Muslims, simply must not be permitted to continue. Maybe such a new state, containing both Christianity AND Islam as its official religions, could be called “The Republic of the Holy Land.” I know the constitutions of both Lebanon and Syria require both a Christian and Muslim (one president, on prime minister). Something like that, maybe…but hopefully without a ‘new Crusade’.

It is very important the Christianity continue to flourish in the Holy Land (which Palestine has historically encouraged), but also that we Christians respect the fact that Jerusalem is also a Holy City for our Muslim brothers and sisters.

But, in this, let forgiveness be our sword- let us fight this terrible evil with united good.
 
The problem is that some rabbis are wacky and believe false info, just like some Christian clergy and some pagan religious leaders.

Christmas trees are not pagan. That is the wacky part.

Some Jewish people who don’t believe in Christ still like decorating trees, and some Jewish people find this objectionable. That is the part that Jewish people just have to work out among themselves.

Christians and Muslims are citizens of Israel too, and have a right to celebrate holidays in ways not conflicting with other people’s civic rights. This is something that all Israelis have to work out among themselves.

Either way, it is not really the business of non-Israelis to worry about, other than just keeping up on the news. We all have our own religious rights problems to work on.
 
I guess the Christmas tree is offensive to both Jews and Muslims. I hope outlawing Christmas trees in the future around the world will not be another tradition we will no longer be able to have like saying Merry Christmas. The times I wished people a Merry Christmas this year, I seldom got a response. Just silence.
 
Just call it a Chanukah Bush instead of a Christmas Tree and problem solved. At least that’s how my Jewish friends do it in their home but their synagogue is quite liberal.
 
I think calling unfair and citing religious freedom is a bit far. This is a public Christmas tree display in a Jewish State. We have similar troubles here in the US with some areas not allowing Christmas trees in public places. Do our state universities allow them? Do our hotels dare put them up for fear of offending someone?
 
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