I’m way behind on my Hanukkah celebrating—but I’m finally making a mountain of latkes and getting ready to squeegee the oil off the walls. Our usual Hanukkah festivities were derailed this year by our participation in the West Adams Holiday Tour and Progressive Dinner. We welcomed almost 500 people into our home on Saturday and Sunday. They enjoyed one of six courses (in our house a delicious brandied roasted carrot and beet soup) as they swarmed all over our three floors. I gave each group a shpiel about the history of our home (built by Henry C. Jensen in 1909) and they couldn’t have been more complimentary, even when an aborted fire in our basement fireplace sent people streaming out with minor smoke inhalation. We had people of all ages and all walks of life touring our house, glass of beet soup in hand. One standout was a 12-year-old boy with a Shakespearean haircut who told us he cried when he sat in our library because of how much he loved the house. He said he never wanted to leave and he never needed to—after having a 12-year-old boy tell us what a special couple we were, Kendall and I were fully prepared to take out adoption papers.
Kendall single-handedly decorated our house and while I initially scoffed at some of her unorthodox ideas, her unique flair for holiday design was a major hit with the tourgoers. Some people were riveted by our family photos that line the dining room walls and wanted to hear stories about every person, especially my great-grandparents, Itshe Meyer and Alta Toba. With some of Kendall’s Christmas ribbons entwined around my ultra-orthodox relatives, I’m surprised Itshe Meyer’s portrait didn’t fly off the wall in protest. Maybe he was placated by the small Hanukkah display I set up on the other side of the room.
Did you see the Hanukkah celebration that the Obamas hosted in the White House? Notice that they’re dressed in black—why does everything about Hanukkah have to be so somber while Christmas is drenched in color? Maybe Michelle and Barack are looking serious because they combined a few other tragedies with the event: the menorah is from a New Orleans synagogue that was badly damaged in Hurricane Katrina and the Jennifer Aniston-lookalike whose family is lighting the menorah lost her husband on 9/11.
But let’s give Obama credit for even acknowledging the holiday. Unlike the many Christian holiday events that have been longstanding traditions at the White House, Obama is only the second U.S. President to hold a menorah-lighting ceremony there. George W. was the first, in 2001. Bush invited a bunch of Chasidic leaders to his annual Hanukkah party, most of whom just loved his so-called “faith-based agenda.” No matter that the White House chefs kept screwing up and mixing the kosher and traif food. It took until 2005 to make the event completely kosher.
The first President who officially acknowledged the holiday was the one who is now reviled by many Jews (but definitely not by me), Jimmy Carter, by lighting the “national menorah” in Lafayette Park. The first President to actually light a menorah in the White House was Bill Clinton. In 1993, he invited a dozen Jewish schoolchildren into the Oval Office for a brief ceremony. This occasion made headlines when a six-year-old girl’s ponytail caught fire from the flame and Clinton himself ran his hands through her hair to snuff out the smoke. Oy.
Past 20th-century Presidents not only didn’t acknowledge Hanukkah, they sometimes appeared especially insensitive to the nation’s Jews. In 1927, Calvin Coolidge, assuming that everyone in the country celebrated Christmas, proclaimed that “Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind.” He explained that “there will be born in all of us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
Franklin Roosevelt, beloved by the Jewish community, sent Christmas cards to Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and other prominent Jews, declaring that Christmas was a national holiday “because the teachings of Christ are fundamental to our lives.” Hello? Did Eleanor approve that message? Harry Truman gave a national Christmas address in which he called upon Americans to “put our trust in the unerring Star which guided the Wise Men to the manger of Bethlehem.” Even John F. Kennedy ignored the Jews when he told the nation in 1962 that that “Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, as well as Christians, pause from their labors on the 25th day of December to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace.” He said that “there could be no more striking proof that Christmas is truly the universal holiday of all men.” Yikes.
Happy Hanukkah y’all!
Wonderful post! We celebrated Hanukkah in our hodgepodge household by dancing the Hora while singing "Oh Hanuakkah," and giving the kids each an Advent Calendar. Hmmmm. XO
Posted by: Hilary | December 07, 2010 at 06:45 PM
Happy Hanukkah, Danny!
"Human Smoke" by Nicholson Baker puts good old FDR in a rather new light concerning the Jewish community.
I'm glad to hear that the Obamas were able to mix it up a bit on putting the wide variety of religious traditions in the USA in high-relief.
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: The Pliers | December 08, 2010 at 12:35 AM
Happy Hanukkah, Danny! I'm glad the house tour went well. I wish I could have been there. The story of the 12-year-old boy is so sweet!
Posted by: Julie R. | December 08, 2010 at 06:16 AM
Happy Hanukkah!
Posted by: http://churlishfigure.blogspot.com/ | December 08, 2010 at 08:10 AM
Our Chanukah at home has been mercifully low-key, but only after feeding 180 at Temple Judea Friday night! Talk about an "oy" moment!
Can't wait to read "Human Smoke," and wish that I could share it with my dad z''l. He always despised "King Frank," and was reviled by the Jewish Community's adoration of him.
Happy Chanukah--get those latkes before the grease congeals!
Posted by: Sheila Linderman | December 08, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Happy Hanukkah Danny! With Hanukkah being so early this year, it has not worked out for our family to celebrate together and that has been disappointing to me.
I,too, have been shocked at the insensitivity of people.
Our Amway celebration for Achievers in the business was held in San Diego Dec 1-5. We had a great time, but no mention was made of Hanukkah. At the end of the big recognition ceremony last Friday night where Colin Powell was the surprise keynote speaker, they announced from stage that we would end on a song of "unity". They brought out a choir dressed in robes and sang "Silent Night" with a picture of baby Jesus on the screen.
Oh well.---or as you would say--"Oy".
Posted by: laurie | December 08, 2010 at 03:12 PM
Oh! I wish Larry and I could have been on the WAHA tour this year! It sounds like your house was a stand-out!!! Your family are real troopers!
Posted by: Ellen B. | December 08, 2010 at 05:16 PM
This year I had our Indian neighbors in for latkes and chicken soup and a few days later we were all singing Christmas carols to the seniors with our girl scouts. This group included a number of Indian mothers and daughters and a quite orthodox Jewish woman from Russia, who, in keeping with the spirit of good will sang out 'Christ The Savior Is Born' in full voice.
And why are all the good Christmas songs written by Jews, anyway? And why is the best Christmas album of all time produced by a Jewish Madman (The Phil Spector Christmas Album) I don't expect any answers, I just ask
Posted by: DebbieW | December 08, 2010 at 06:54 PM
Belated Happy Hanukkah to you and your family!
Posted by: Elise | December 11, 2010 at 02:53 PM
A belated Happy Hanukkah. My knowledge of history is just appalling, but I do have one bone to pick with your presidential synopsis. I don't know of too many Jews who like FDR (aside from the christmas card blunder you mention). He did nothing to help Jews in WW2. I think he even turned a ship full of Jews away from the US when they had no where else to go. Thank goodness for Sugihara.
Posted by: AidelK | December 15, 2010 at 11:47 AM
My family (grandparents, great grandparents and other relatives) are framed in my dining room too. It feels like more of a party when they are there with me. And unlike my children, they never throw food on the floor.
Posted by: nonlineargirl | December 19, 2010 at 09:27 PM