Thanksgiving has passed, the turkey all eaten, along with Black Friday, probably producing gory images of shoppers being trampled to death. Now, it is December. And, as everyone knows, starting with ABC Family’s ’25 Days of Christmas’, December is all about Christmas. Thus poses to Jews the December Dilemma. How should Jews feel about the overwhelming celebration of Christmas?

The Main Line is a unique area in America. Almost a third of its population is Jewish. However, out of the total population of America, just 0.02% is Jewish, while 76% is Christian. Therefore, for every American Jew, there are about 3,800 Christians. Not to say that Christians are malevolent towards Jews, but clearly, Christians outnumber Jews.

I have no hate or prejudice towards Christians whatsoever. However, I am always upset every December by the sheer amount of Christmas being advertised. Sure, the majority of America is Christian, but does Christmas really have to be emphasized so much that it alienates the other 24%? Jews have felt so pressured to assimilate that they have put up Christmas trees, or even worse, “Hanukkah Bushes.”

I am about to experience my 15^th December. Every year, every December, I asked myself why I was different from everyone else, why I wasn’t going along with everyone else. Of course, my Christian friends tried to console me with the highly ignorant statement, “Your Christmas is eight days long,” but that made me feel even more isolated from Americans, and I’m sure other Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, etc. feel the same way.

Fox News, a conservative news network, plays its role in December by fighting against what they call a “War on Christmas” which apparently attacks the right to celebrate Christmas everywhere. They cry foul over their religion being attacked by the “liberal media.”

If there is a War on Christmas, one side is extremely powerful, and the other extremely weak. Saturday Night Live takes up some time of its Christmas special to poke fun at Jews, such as their song “Christmastime for the Jews”.

Christmas should be a time for celebrating your religion, not mocking and attacking others. America is supposed to be a nation where all religions can thrive. Ironically speaking, Christmas shouldn’t just be a Christian holiday: It should be a time where Christians reach out to all, and be the best they can be.