For a little Chanuka dinner party last night, I found these Gemini Specs cardboard glasses for the kids who were coming. At first I thought these were just like those cardboard glasses you always see, that make rainbows, double images, wavy lines, or other fun hallucinogenic visual effects. But these were different. Through some holographic magic (which I don’t pretend to understand) they surround every point of light you see through them with either a floating Star of David, or a pair of spinning dreidels. It’s the most amazing effect, and very hard to describe. But when you walk down the street at night looking through them, it transforms the world. Every street light, every headlight or tail-light on a car, and especially every Christmas light is transformed into a glowing, colorful, Chanuka decoration.
They’re very fun, but more than that, they provide a very beautiful and powerful lesson and example. I was wishing that I could, just for one night, around this time of year, make every Christian put on a pair of these and walk down the streets of their hometown. For just one night, I’d like them to be overwhelmed by multitudes, omnipresent, inescapable, of sparkling, beautiful, mystical reminders of a religion and culture which is not theirs, in their own country. It’s an experience that I don’t think they understand at all. And it’s an experience that non-Christians in America have every single Christmas season.
It was so sweet of you to get these and other gifts for our guests.
I had no idea you thought there was supposed to be some sort of contest. I also was under the impression you were not a “practicing” Jew and struggled with your spiritual/religious identity. Maybe you should take off the glasses and look at yourself. I hope some day you come to terms with the injustices you feel you suffered as a child Joe. I really do.
Wishing you and yours the very best in your and my holiday season and always.
Cyd
Dear Lord…
Please try to understand this: The reason it’s so ubiquitous, the reason Christmas in America is what it is, is money. You get Jews in America to spend more than they can afford on this kind of nonsense, and I guarantee you you will see dreidles and candles all over the place without holographic glasses.
Thanks, however, for confirming everything I’ve suspected about this pseudo-secularism – I don’t know a “deader giveaway” or more typical charactersitic of orthodoxy, than the wish to force an alternate perception on people.
The bottom line is, that there is exactly one country in the world where Jews are not a minority. It welcomes all Jews, and grants them full Citizenship and the right to run for the highest office from Day One. I’m not suggesting anyone move out there, but if you find the most Jewish city in America to be too oppressive, you do have options. Forcing visions on anyone, is not one of them.
Happy Hanukah and best regards.
I find your great underestimation of the capacity for understanding, compassion and rational thought in the rest of your countrymen offensive.
I see there’s at least one way to finally get comments on this blog!
Cyd, Fiona, and Raphael…your glasses are in the mail!
You forget, my friend, I grew up under (Jewish) Religious Coersion, I don’t need holographic glasses to find out what that’s like 🙂