{"id":4343,"date":"2013-12-03T20:20:54","date_gmt":"2013-12-04T03:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stapletonion.com\/?p=4343"},"modified":"2013-12-03T20:20:54","modified_gmt":"2013-12-04T03:20:54","slug":"even-in-stapleton-hanukah-takes-back-seat-to-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stapletonion.com\/?p=4343","title":{"rendered":"Even in Stapleton, Hanukah Takes Back Seat to Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"menorah&tree\"<\/a>Stapleton has a large Jewish population and community leaders certainly make efforts to ensure Jewish holidays and traditions are not left behind. Overall, Stapleton is also considered to be very tolerant of different religions, ethnic backgrounds and sexual preferences. But even with all its political correctness, Stapleton still didn\u2019t give Hanukah a fair shake. \u201cThey put a menorah up on the far side of the Green,\u201d said Jewish Stapleton resident Jill Farkas. \u201cI guess they organized a little lighting, but did you see the Winter Welcome? Come on, that was all about Christmas. I saw a dancing Christmas tree, but I didn\u2019t see any dancing dradles.\u201d\n\nOther Jewish residents agree. \u201cI mean, this celebration in the town center was huge,\u201d said David Maimon. \u201cLights, trees, Santa Claus. Thousands of people, celebrating in the only town center<\/a> we have. But then the Jewish population gets this quiet little lighting in almost a private unseen area by the green? I just think SUN and the MCA can do a little better than that.\u201d\n\u201cWe definitely want to make sure everyone is included,\u201d said MCA President Liza Kampstra. \u201cObviously, we did not want to offend anyone, and did our best to be inclusive. Next year, we plan to include some Jewish people on our committee to give feedback on what we can do to make the large and tremendous Jewish population in Stapleton happy with what we are doing to celebrate their traditions.\u201d\nJewish residents certainly feel it can be a lot more. \u201cI mean did you see the size of that tree,\u201d exclaimed Elijah Slonimsky. \u201cThat thing was huge. It\u2019s a good thing they put the menorah so far away from the tree, as we would feel even worse about how bad we were slighted.\u201d Some Jewish parents are concerned with the message it is sending their kids. \u201cWe take them to the menorah lighting which was fine,\u201d said Rachel Rosenweig. \u201cBut then, we go to the winter welcome which is very Christmasy, and just a huge party. Smores, candy, Santa Claus, etc. How can I expect to keep them Jewish when they are directly comparing it to the fun-time party of Christmas?\u201d \u201cNext year, we plan to do a whole lot more to make the winter welcome more festive for all religions,\u201d said Kampstra.\n]]>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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