Did you know that we humans have trouble conceiving of something that doesn’t have a name? Once it is named we build around the word. It doesn’t have to have a single definition, but we do need a centering point. So here’s a fairly new word, Christmakah. I think we are still inventing what it means. Is it celebrating both holidays? Is it merging both holidays? Is it going to someone else’s holiday? Or maybe it means any of the above. It is not yet in the dictionary.
Appropriately enough, the word begins with ‘Christma’ because Christmas is so very much the bigger and more dominant of the two celebrations. Additionally, I see more items listed as Christmas gifts than Hanukkah gifts with the dual identity. But we all know that come November everything in the world becomes Christmas. A stuffed dog is a Christmas dog, a ham is a Christmas ham, a train is depicted with a wreath on it.
I’m curious to know how those who observe both Christmas and Hanukkah think about the word “Christmakah”? Additionally, what do you do for your celebration(s)? Combine them? Presents for 8 nights + a pile for Christmas day? Do you think of Hanukkah as a minor holiday and let it stay in the shadows? Or do you try to build it up?
Have you given your children a clear message of how you see the December holidays? Do you know what you would prefer they feel about them?
Have they had an opportunity to share their feelings without fearing they will upset you?
Here are some articles about questions that arise at Christmas time —
Being Jewish is more than avoiding Christmas
Is December a “dilemma”?
The Question of Santa
Christmas for Your Child
Christmas Won’t Destroy Your Child’s Jewish Identity (1)
Christmas Won’t Destroy Your Child’s Jewish Identity (2)
How do the children feel?
I love Christmas, I hate Christmas
Fitting in
EVENTS
Chanukah Shabbat (San Rafael)
Shabbat Hanukkah (Pleasanton)
Hav-dal-nu-kah: A Hanukkah and Havdalah Gathering! (San Francisco)
Wrestling with Prayer (Walnut Creek)
MLK Multifaith Day of Service (Peninsula – San Mateo to Los Altos)
Creating & Sustaining Jewish Traditions at Home (On Zoom)
Chanukah Shabbat
Welcome in the light of Chanukah with our entire Rodef Sholom Community. There will be Shabbat blessings, festive music, a community candle lighting, and holiday treats!
Please bring your menorah and candles, and an unwrapped toy to donate to Canal Alliance for our Annual Toy Drive!
Schedule:
5:30pm: Kid-ish Crew Pizza + Doughnuts (Families with kids ages 6-10ish)
5:45pm: Pre-Oneg/Doughnut Truck
6:15pm: Chanukah Shabbat Services & Candle-lighting
Date: Friday, Dec. 27
Time: 5:30pm
Place: Rodef Sholom and on Zoom.
Rodef Sholom, 170 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael
RSVP HERE
Shabbat Hanukkah
Join us for our annual Shabbat Hanukkah celebration, a beautiful service filled with light, song, and the story of the Maccabees. This is one of the highlights of the year for our congregation. If you are joining in person, plan to arrive a little early to set up your hanukkiyah—your Hanukkah menorah—and candles.
Date: Friday, December 27
Time: 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Place: Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton
Questions? Contact Rabbi Milder.
Hav-dal-nu-kah: A Hanukkah and Havdalah Gathering!
Are you home for the holidays? Getting back from travels? Join Sha’ar Zahav’s young adult group, Kaf Lamed, for a special Hanukkah gathering featuring Havdalah blessings, menorah lighting, chatting, yapping and of course festive noshing, which includes latkes and sufganiyot. You don’t want to miss a night of light, joy and community! All are welcome! (Members, non-members, your friends, cousins, sister, roommate, Jew, Jew curious, latke curious, etc.)
Date: Saturday, December 28
Time: 6pm
Place: Sha’ar Zahav, 290 Dolores St., San Francisco
More details here
Wrestling with Prayer
Prayer is both a deeply personal and communal experience, both scripted and spontaneous. So many questions come up! What do you say when it’s time to pray silently? Can you just talk to God? What if you don’t believe in God? When do we bow? Why do we lift our toes? Is it possible to do the wrong thing in prayer? Join Rabbi Chabon in a three-part series on prayer where we will wrestle with all these questions and more. No Hebrew or prayer experience necessary. In fact, the less you know the more fun we will have!
Dates: 3 Sundays: January 5, January 12, January 26
Time: 10:15 am
Place: B’nai Tikvah, 25 Hillcroft Way, Walnut Creek
Register here
MLK Multifaith Day of Service
Support the Peninsula community and build friendship by participating in the 2025 Martin Luther Jr. Multifaith Day of Service organized by the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition!
You and your family can choose from many different indoor and outdoor service projects on the Peninsula. It is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with volunteers coming from all major faith traditions. Peninsula Temple Beth El is a member of the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition. Minor must be signed up together with an adult.
Date: Monday, January 20, 2025
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.*
Place: Multiple locations in the Peninsula. More info here.
Register here by 1/20/25
*please see individual project start times when you register. A few projects start at 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m.
Creating & Sustaining Jewish Traditions at Home
Whether you’re the Jewish parent or the non-Jewish parent, you’re probably busy. That makes integrating Jewish traditions an additional task – and a time consuming one at that!
What can you do?
What do you have time to do??
Who is in your home – toddlers, school age kids, teens, just the two of you?
Let’s brainstorm about what you wish for and what you hadn’t even thought of to make your house the home of YOUR Jewish practices. I’ll come with ideas. You come with curiosity – and ideas of your own!
Here’s the article that got me thinking about this.
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 7 to 8pm
Online – email me for the Zoom link at dawn@buildingjewishbridges.org
Free
The post What about this word “Christmakah”? appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges.