‘Tis the season for Jews’ feelings to be bruised.
Every December, Jonathan Bernstein, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, fields calls from Jews curious about what kinds of religious imagery cn be used in school or office decorations.
And, this year, Bernstein speculates that either more questionable decor decisions are being made or more Jews are complaining or both.
A number of callers are perturbed about their office or school displaying a Christmas tree, but, Bernstein informs, the Supreme Court has ruled that the tree — or Jolly Ol’ St. Nick, for that matter — does not count as a “religious symbol.”
Still, every year Jews complain that their attempts to place a menorah or dreidel next to the tree have been thwarted, as these are deemed religious symbols.
Other interesting cases this year include:
• The ADL assuring a local school principal that a teacher is allowed to have a Christmas tree in her room.
• A Jewish employee miffed by her boss’ repeated queries as to whether she was attending synagogue, and then emphasizing that the office’s holiday fest was “a Christmas party.”
• A Jewish employee was chided for decorating her desk with Chanukah paraphernalia, while co-workers had free reign to decorate at will with Christmas stuff.
• After a menorah was installed next to the Christmas tree at the Sacramento Federal Courthouse, touchy officials removed both. Eventually, both were replaced.
For calls such as these, the ADL rarely gets directly involved because of the obvious friction it would create in an office. Instead, Bernstein advises checking www.adl.org for guidelines on what is and isn’t permissible in holiday decor.