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[TiCam]

After receiving complaints from Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made a request weeks ago to add a menorah to the 9 christmas tree that are displayed at the Seattle airport.

Here is the report from a local newspaper:

All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.

Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.

"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. "We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn't add the menorah next to the trees, which had been decorated with red ribbons and bows.

"Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season," said Bogomilsky, who works in Seattle at the regional headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation.

After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.

Hanukkah begins this Friday at sundown.

"They've darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up," said Bogomilsky's lawyer, Harvey Grad. "There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch."

What seems to be happening at the moment is that Christmas in particular seems to be getting sidelined in favour of non offensive 'winter festivals' which are actually quite meaningless.

[krisanne]

Yes...it's too bad people get caught up in traditions. Moreover, seek to outdo one another during these times. But I guess people hold on to what is dependable even in rituals/festivals/ceremonies.

As long as it brings people together...it suddenly deems itself quite meaningful afterall. That's most important I think! Celebrate your similarities and differences...that's what make s the world nicer.

[Titine]

TiCam its too bad it had to end this way.

I truly think that the holidays are about family and love ones. Rather than being a Grinch, wouldn't it be easier to do what makes you happy rather than stressed and angry about other people? If there are parts that you really don't like for whatever reason, why not avoid them? As for me Christmas in my family is about giving from your heart. My favorite Christmas tradition I think is the festive mood created through getting together with my whole family and baking loads of cookies and spending time with one another. We enjoy exchanging gifts. I love to see the smile on my loved ones when they see a gift I surprise them with.

All that togertherness and giving from the heart make our holiday more peaceful, loving, memorable and enjoyable, just talking about it makes me so happy and looking forward for the holidays, and you know really, it is worth to continue our family tradition.

A chacun son goût, no need to make a cause célèbre about nothing.