Rabbi Grinch and the Christmas Tree

A rabbi in Seattle got himself into a kettle of hot water which he didn't intend to do. And in the process he showed himself pretty ignorant as well. Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky whined about a bunch of Christmas trees at the Seattle airport. He threatened a law suit demanding that they add a Jewish menorah to the display of trees.

The unpleasant Bogomilsky was then not happy when the trees were removed. "Our goal was to include a menorah in the airport as well so that we could bring extra light with Hannukah's universal message of hope." Blah, blah, blah. He said his threats of a law suit "was never about removing Christmas treees -- it was about protecting the right to add menorahs."

If the airport is funded by tax funds there is no right to add menorahs. If the airport is private and not state funded there is still no right to add a menorah without the volunatary permission of the owner.

Bogomilsky is apparent stupid. He seems to think that a tree with decorations is a Christian symbol. Dumbkopf! The tree is not Christians. It is an old tradition that comes from the pre-Christian world and is today absent any religious meaning at all.

Bogomilsky's tactic was really to force a public building to display his religious symbols and he was looking for any loophole he could to do so.

The airport said the threatened suit left them no choice as they felt if they gave in to Rabbi Grinch they would then have to put up symbols of all other religions as well and that such a move would be impossible. They are right. The Rabbi is wrong several times over. The trees should go back up but probably won't. Christmas trees, lights, etc are not religious symbols. There is no requirement to give some idiot equal time with religious symbols just because he mistakingly thinks Christmas trees are religious.