On the surface it may have seemed benign: Have kindergarteners write a letter to Santa Claus, throw them a reindeer-themed party and then, a week before Christmas, walk the kids to a nearby café for hot cocoa and a chance to sit on Santa’s lap.
There’s just one problem. This field trip was sponsored by a San Jose public elementary school that happens to boast a diverse student population of Muslims, Hindus, Jews and other ethnic and religious groups besides Christians.
Some have suggested the planned activity violates the separation of church and state. But for Talia, the Jewish mother who objected to the event organized by her daughter’s school, and who subsequently faced harsh criticism when the field trip was canceled, the issue is about inclusion.
Our story details how Talia (who is asking the media to use only her first name) voiced her concerns to school officials and sought to arrange a more inclusive alternative. She even helped organize a holiday party that celebrated several ethnic and religious traditions, including Christmas. Parents who wanted to have their kids meet Santa were obviously welcome to do so, she said. Just not as part of a school-sponsored trip.
It wasn’t long before some parents reacted angrily and lashed out at Talia. She was verbally harassed at the school, she said, and attacked on social media. Several posts crossed the line, citing Talia’s Jewish faith and rehashing anti-Semitic tropes to castigate her. “You are doing exactly what the Nazis did,” one commenter said.
Fortunately, Talia also received support from many parents, including those from her daughter’s class, as well as the superintendent of the Cambrian School District and the Anti-Defamation League.
Those who see this as part of the so-called war on Christmas are missing the point: This is about making sure no student is made to feel excluded or “other” while participating in school activities. Want to talk about Santa in class as part of a lesson on cultures and holidays? Fine. Want to write him letters, sit on his lap and share Christmas wishes on school time? Not fine. A school-sanctioned activity that favors Christmas this way sends the wrong message to young children who do not celebrate the holiday.
This affair demonstrates the delicate balance society must strike when it comes to publicly funded institutions. Even though a majority of Americans celebrate Christmas in some fashion, and though it has been sanitized and secularized in our culture, it remains at its core a Christian holiday.
That’s why Talia felt the school Santa visit was wrong. We admire her for speaking up.