When Jesus Crashes the Hanukkah Party
(JTA) — Sure, his birthday usually falls around the same time as Hanukkah, but Jesus and the Jewish holiday generally don’t mix.
This year, however, two Jesus-Hanukkah juxtapositions have been getting a lot of social media attention.
First, there’s Bud Williams, the Springfield, Mass., city counselor who said “Jesus is the reason for the season” — at a menorah lighting.
And there’s the morning host of St. Louis’ Fox affiliate, Kim Kelly Hudson. who sported a T-shirt bearing an image of Jesus on the cross while she interviewed a local rabbi about Hanukkah.
Asked about the T-shirt by Jim Romenesko, via Twitter, Hudson explained that she routinely wears T-shirts promoting local events — this one was for a Christian rap concert the same evening. “No insult was intended,” she said.
Williams seemed surprised at the ruckus, telling MassLive that when folks speak of a “bright light” from 2,000 years ago — as did rabbis at the ceremony — Jesus naturally comes to mind.
“I thought it added something to the service; it didn’t take away,” he said.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
