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I grew up in a primarily gentile community in New Jersey, with a handful of Jewish students in
my class. Yes, I did experience antisemitism, which I have both written and spoken about, but it
was not pervasive. There were the few who tossed pennies at me, daring me to pick them up,
because they had learned that Jews were cheap. I got into fights because I was Jewish. The
seminal moment for me was coming home from elementary school one day, and seeing in my
driveway several swastikas and the words “Jeffrey is a dirty Jew”. That was my introduction to
the Holocaust, and I never forgot that moment, and can still see the images on my driveway
these decades later. Jews were not permitted to join the community swim club, so Jewish
groups created swim clubs further away, making them open to any who wished to join. My
father was the municipal judge at the time. I recall several years later that we had received an
invitation to join the community swim club that had banned us, and was so proud of my
father’s response to what they could do with their invitation.

I both sang in school choruses and played in the band, as one did not have to declare which
group until High School. Over time I learned all the Christmas Carols, both vocal and
instrumental versions. To this day I never objected to that, as I have found them to be quite
beautiful. If there were uncomfortable words, I just didn’t sing them.

This past Sunday I participated in the Christmas pageant at Calvary Episcopal Church, as I have
done for several years now, in the role of Moses. I’m what you would call the opening act. I’ve
never questioned Moses’ presence in the pageant, even though he predates Jesus by
approximately 1300 years. I’m honored to be asked, and they even insisted that I sing the
opening verses of the Song of the Sea. The children in the pageant do a wonderful job, the
church chorus sounds wonderful (I could most likely sing with them, as I still remember all of
the Christmas Carols), and the presence of livestock – baby sheep, baby goats, Jack the donkey,
and a camel – make for a festive pageant. After a brief mass, all assembled, members of Calvary
Episcopal and members of Tree of Life Congregation, gather in the parish hall for a Chanukah
party that we sponsor, replete with latkes (sour cream and applesauce ) and jelly donuts. The
number of parishioners (my congregants too) who come up and thank me for my participation
and wish me a Happy Chanukah is quite warming. The love and respect in the room is palatable.
In essence, isn’t this the way it should be? Why can’t we celebrate the beauty of each other’s
holidays together from a place of mutual respect? One of the unintended positive outcomes of
10.27 is the warm relationships we have developed, Calvary Episcopal Church being one of
them. How blessed all of us are.

To my readers who are Christian, I wish you a blessed Christmas. To my readers who are Jewish,
I wish you a joyous Chanukah.