Monumental Menorahs

	How can we explain the recent declaration that the official color scheme for Hanukkah is blue and white? What about the monumental menorahs that have appeared in some of our city centers? In my opinion, many Jews have inflated their otherwise minor holiday because they seem to feel they must compete with Christmas, thus turning the festive season into a platform for asserting religious identity.  Christmas red and green is answered by  blue and white, and nowhere in the world, except to counterbalance a towering, resplendent Christmas tree, would we find a giant menorah in the middle of downtown.
Imagine if the Chinese American population dug out  a historical event to coincide with St. Patrick's Day because they were envious of Irish people and fans of that holiday for having a day to get drunk.Imagine if all holidays were used as platforms for asserting religious identity, each carving out some piece of history to compete with everyone else. No celebration would be truly enjoyable.
Competition for visibility and recognition in December should be unnecessary when we consider that there are different calendars for different communities, and the important holidays come at different times for them. The need for public statements and public festivity could so easily be spread out and allocated to the times of  year when they are most appropriate for those concerned, when their big holidays actually occur. Not all holidays are created equal for every month of the year . It's absurd to think of December as the month when everything must be plowed down to a level playing field. It would be unlikely  that a Chinese American would resent references to Christmas and New Years when Chinese New Year is their big celebration, with it's parades and fireworks so widely enjoyed by people outside of the Chinese community.
I would like to see this erecting of monumental menorahs as purely a contribution done in the spirit of sharing a symbol of Jewish heritage with the greater festive scene, rather than trying to subtract from it. If nothing had ever happened besides giant, gas powered menorahs being added alongside Christmas trees it would be one thing, but it's not that simple. Jews have the distinction of being the only religious group with a history going back over thirty years of voicing opposition to Christmas. I found one newspaper story from 1968 about a December open house at a junior high school where ninth graders had made models of the first twenty elements and hung them from the lights. One of the models had incorporated small Christmas ornaments. A Jewish man had objected, remarking that teachers should do that sort of project at another time of year to avoid problems. Over the years more than a few complaints about Christmas trees in schools and other public places have been made on the basis that they are religious symbols that have made the news. The Supreme court has since ruled that Christmas trees and Santa are secular Christmas symbols. In the early 1980s in the United States, litigation was in the courts regarding separation of church and state. News spread rapidly and it was the beginning of holidayization. With irrational concerns and fear of controversy going out of control, it eventually went mainstream. All sorts of Christmas titles and descriptions were changed from "Christmas" to "holiday". Looking through newspapers and magazine clippings from this period it's dramatic to see the change take place in print. I think that over the years  the number of  complaints that started all this has become greatly exaggerated in the public's mind in the way that urban legends are. I don't imagine anyone has kept records of who has voiced them but I believe the majority of complaints that have been made by Jewish people  have come from those who feel caught in the identity crisis. Not being immersed in the wealth and complexity of Judaism or the beliefs that actually sustained them on their often tragic and tumultuous historical journey, they don't strictly observe the canon or calendar of the faith. But when they see trees and lights going up they feel December is the month to assert something extra about their heritage.

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