Whisski Bent and Hell Bound

Hanukkah this year will begin in the evening of Sunday, November 28, 2021 (Thanksgiving weekend in USA) and end in the evening of Monday, December 6

If you observe this holiday, might want to adjust plans around the holiday weekend (if in USA)

posting on tumblr is like carefully placing your work in the middle of a dark abandoned factory, and slowly a bunch of weird little goblins manifest from the shadows and touch your work all over with their little raccoon hands and share it with each other. sometimes they find your thing again many years later and excitedly share it again

I’m a gentile, raised Mormon. This year, my dad and his wife are celebrating Hanukkah.

So, question one, is it okay for gentiles to celebrate Hanukkah? They’re being pretty careful, learning the rules, making sure to light the candles right and everything.

Now we go down a bit of a rabbit-hole. In the Mormon religion, there’s a belief - a “doctrine” - that all people are descended from the twelve tribes of Israel. In a special, personalized “patriarchal blessing” you receive around 15 or 16 years of age, your “descent” is revealed - that is, which tribe of Israel you belong to. This is not genetic. Parents and children and siblings can “belong” to different tribes. It has nothing to do with actual family history, and seems to be entirely symbolic, based on your apparent role in God’s plan.

When I questioned why they were celebrating Hanukkah, they claimed it was because they’re celebrating their heritage. As far as I’m aware, however, there is no Jewish blood in my family or my stepfamily, and they made mention of their “descent” from the twelve tribes of Israel, implying that they believe they have a right to this holiday because of that.

I’m baffled. I absolutely support learning about and respecting Jewish culture, but it’s not okay for them to claim that this holiday is for them, is it? They’re Christian. They’re sitting here reading an article titled “Hanukkah is for Christians.”

My name is Josh (he/him/his) and I’m a student rabbi and Jewish Educator living in New York City.

Thank you so so much for your thoughtful and very thorough question.  I really appreciate you reaching out to the Jewish community for some advice.  

In short, no.  It is not okay for a non-Jewish person to celebrate a Jewish holiday or perform a Jewish ritual unless they either (A) doing so in a Jewish space with or for the benefit of their Jewish loved ones or (B) doing so in preparation to convert to Judaism (and are working directly with a rabbi, cantor, or other Jewish person to help them on their blossoming Jewish journey).

I am not a fan of arguing that other people’s theological understanding of the world is incorrect as theology can be so personal, often confusing, and rather complicated.  So I do not feel comfortable commented specifically on this Mormon theology that you pointed out.  I believe that all religious beliefs that do not hurt another human being – or group of human beings – should be celebrated.  But I will comment specifically on the appropriation of Jewish rituals and why this is an act of antisemitism.

There is a growing movement in the Christian world – not just within the Mormon Church – of folks who believe that they have a right or a privilege to celebrate Jewish customs and holidays.  I have heard that many folks do it in the “name of Jesus,” or like in this case “because it is ‘our’ heritage.”   Both of these points are rather disturbing when you trace the atrocities committed against Jews by Christians throughout history. Christians are responsible for so much Jewish pain throughout history and have absolutely no right to appropriate Jewish traditions.  It is disrespectful, because regardless of how any non-Jew follows the “rules” one attempts to follow, it is still not their holiday, their custom, their heritage, nor their tradition.  

This is all my way of coming around to say that you are 100% correct friend.  And thank you for coming here for your Jewish siblings to reassure this uncomfortable feeling you might be feeling.  I also agree with your statement that learning about other people’s faith traditions is important.  Personally I love learning about Mormonism (if you have any fun articles, please send them my way!).  You are in the right here.

I’d like to end by adding a few fun tidbits that I am sure that your father and his wife might not be thinking about.   Every single Jewish holiday that we celebrate today is a product of evolution over time.  Most Jewish customs as well are a product of a slow evolution– meaning that the Jews would have practiced in Jesus’ time, is sharply different than the Judaism practiced of today.  As an example back in the first century, Jews were most likely having a debate about the custom around how many candles one should light– and in what order– on the Hanukiah (Hanukkah Menorah).  Although Jewish Law states that one should light at least one candle each night, the custom has developed to light one light the first, two the second, three the third, and so on and so fourth.  This is all to say that for the elites in the first century who practiced Hanukkah, they probably would not have lit the candles via today’s custom. (If it would be helpful, I’d be happy to make similar arguments about other Jewish holidays, customs, and modes of being Jewish!)

Ultimately friend, you are in the right here.  Your gut telling you that this celebration is wrong, is totally on point.  Thank you so much for bringing so much compassion to this really rather challenging issue. 

Anne Frank was baptized as a Mormon decades after her death. Her death BECAUSE she was Jewish.

Many, many Jews have complained about this and the “church’s” standpoint has always been “deal with it.”

They also do this to other oppressed minorities, like Native Americans, without the consent of the person at all. It’s sickening.

I really appreciate you both reaching out and helping me understand this issue. The truth is, I felt in my gut that what they’re doing is wrong, but I didn’t want to broach the argument without asking actual Jews first - because I am not, after all, Jewish, and don’t know much about the culture or religion. Thank you so much for the information and treating my lack of knowledge kindly. I’m going to attempt to broach the issue with my family, but things between myself and them are… tense, and I’m not sure they’ll respect this.

I’ve really appreciated this opportunity to learn, and I hope I might be able to get through to my dad and his family about this.

Thank you for modelling kindness and a yearning to learn about other human beings.  In the Jewish world, we would call you a true Tzadik.

@the-home-kvetch - thank you for your important input to this conversation here.

If you are not Jewish, please read this important conversation.  And if you have a chance, please read the notes. 

I hope that this conversation can inspire us all to learn about other faith traditions and to explore other cultures with the goal of making us better informed, more compassionate human beings.  As the Jewish sage Hillel would say, “If I am only for myself, what am I?”

l’shalom.