My family was too Jewish to celebrate Christmas but not Jewish enough to always haul out the menorah, light the candles and say the prayers. Some years we’d just pick a December day which was convenient for all family members, and we’d exchange gifts for a customized Rudnick celebration. I always admired my parents for not succumbing to Xmas mania, which I secretly felt would be like sending Hitler a handwritten note reading “All is forgiven. Stop by for highballs and brie.”
I’m fascinated by how some Jews feel the need to compete with the goyim, and to promote Chanukah with all the glitz and fanfare of a holiday TV special. To rival the annual 24-hours-a-day televised Yule log, you can now download an eternal menorah. Here are some other examples of Chanukah excess:
