StatsJew
@statsjew.bsky.social
Progressive Masorti/Conservative Jew. Statistician and US policy wonk recently laid off from the US government workforce. Married aroace with kids.
It's not religious, but it's a cultural part of a Christian holiday, not culturally neutral. And calling them "holiday sweaters" and trying to make it a Hannukah tradition too is a tone deaf way that doesn't make most Jews feel included.
November 24, 2025 at 2:38 AM
It's not religious, but it's a cultural part of a Christian holiday, not culturally neutral. And calling them "holiday sweaters" and trying to make it a Hannukah tradition too is a tone deaf way that doesn't make most Jews feel included.
They certainly don't happen during January, or even October. They happen during Advent.
November 24, 2025 at 2:30 AM
They certainly don't happen during January, or even October. They happen during Advent.
I think the Romans celebrated on the 25th? There's been some calandar drifting and corrections in the past millenia.
November 24, 2025 at 2:30 AM
I think the Romans celebrated on the 25th? There's been some calandar drifting and corrections in the past millenia.
How does that make it a secular, movie about a secular holiday?
November 24, 2025 at 2:28 AM
How does that make it a secular, movie about a secular holiday?
Except if you hold a protest at a synagogue, you are going to attract more than the usual share of antisemites. That's part of the danger. Bring in a Jewish partner org to do the protest, or skip it.
November 23, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Except if you hold a protest at a synagogue, you are going to attract more than the usual share of antisemites. That's part of the danger. Bring in a Jewish partner org to do the protest, or skip it.
It was poor strategy and, from all accounts, the crowd easily fell into antisemitism.
November 23, 2025 at 10:03 PM
It was poor strategy and, from all accounts, the crowd easily fell into antisemitism.
I am not disputing that. But that's really not what most people are saying the event was doing.
November 23, 2025 at 9:59 PM
I am not disputing that. But that's really not what most people are saying the event was doing.
It's a pretty tenuous connection to risk the bad press of shouting at Jews entering a synagogue.
November 23, 2025 at 9:58 PM
It's a pretty tenuous connection to risk the bad press of shouting at Jews entering a synagogue.
They list real estate in the West Bank. I agree that is a problem, and I wouldn't deal with them if I was thinking of moving to the country. But it's a long way from "a few of their listings on the website are in the West Bank" to "this event was promoting moving to the WB'
November 23, 2025 at 9:54 PM
They list real estate in the West Bank. I agree that is a problem, and I wouldn't deal with them if I was thinking of moving to the country. But it's a long way from "a few of their listings on the website are in the West Bank" to "this event was promoting moving to the WB'
Are we talking about the same website?
November 23, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Are we talking about the same website?
It doesn't discourage it, but it is not particularly focused on the settlements. There's a lot of misinformation about the event.
November 23, 2025 at 9:44 PM
It doesn't discourage it, but it is not particularly focused on the settlements. There's a lot of misinformation about the event.
That's not what the event was?
November 23, 2025 at 9:42 PM
That's not what the event was?
I guess it's the same kind of thing that the Christians complain about Christmas: there's the official holiday, and there's the way it's celebrated. No one would say it's more important than Passover or Yom Kippur. But definitely more celebrated than Shavuot, whatever halachah says.
November 23, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I guess it's the same kind of thing that the Christians complain about Christmas: there's the official holiday, and there's the way it's celebrated. No one would say it's more important than Passover or Yom Kippur. But definitely more celebrated than Shavuot, whatever halachah says.
Found a picture of ours from 2023. Though I don't think they still make them.
November 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Found a picture of ours from 2023. Though I don't think they still make them.
My issue with the "ugly" sweater is that as a feminist knitter, I see some weird ideas of what ugly means - mostly hard to knit, bright and funny, noticeable.
November 23, 2025 at 5:51 PM
My issue with the "ugly" sweater is that as a feminist knitter, I see some weird ideas of what ugly means - mostly hard to knit, bright and funny, noticeable.
My dad's family celebrated Christmas, and we would often visit. But it was very much "we are visiting people and celebrating with them" not "this is your holiday too"
November 23, 2025 at 5:38 PM
My dad's family celebrated Christmas, and we would often visit. But it was very much "we are visiting people and celebrating with them" not "this is your holiday too"
Reposted by StatsJew
And, for me personally, the insistance that all of this is totally secular, totally *unconnected* to the celebration of Jesus' birth, that only a grump wouldn't participate, is one of the most uncomfortable things about it.
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
And, for me personally, the insistance that all of this is totally secular, totally *unconnected* to the celebration of Jesus' birth, that only a grump wouldn't participate, is one of the most uncomfortable things about it.
Definitely more of a kid holiday, for the most part.
November 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Definitely more of a kid holiday, for the most part.
I was kind of put off by the Baby Shark Hannukah episode. It was about a seahorse in a new blended family, and about how you can still do your own traditions and also celebrate Christmas. Which... Why couldn't the new step mom be the one celebrating Hannukah?
November 23, 2025 at 5:33 PM
I was kind of put off by the Baby Shark Hannukah episode. It was about a seahorse in a new blended family, and about how you can still do your own traditions and also celebrate Christmas. Which... Why couldn't the new step mom be the one celebrating Hannukah?
My aunt gave me a sugar cookie build-a-menorah kit for the kids to do. I will admit, it was a fun activity, though not really educational.
November 23, 2025 at 5:22 PM
My aunt gave me a sugar cookie build-a-menorah kit for the kids to do. I will admit, it was a fun activity, though not really educational.
Reposted by StatsJew
Only sometimes. My synagogue president posted this on the congregation Facebook page yesterday.
November 23, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Only sometimes. My synagogue president posted this on the congregation Facebook page yesterday.
Reposted by StatsJew
For Huss (the owner of this magazine), the connective tissue between his Christian Identity theology & his faith in "natural" foods was the idea that there were "pure" things (like white Christians & spirulina) & "impure" things (like Jews, non-white people, & soda pop).
bsky.app/profile/seth...
bsky.app/profile/seth...
In this 1978 magazine published by a food faddist, we learn that Debby Boone was a poorly behaved, caffeine and junk food addicted brat of a kid who had rejected both God and her father Pat, but then she started eating right, drinking raw goats milk, and everything started going right in her life.
November 23, 2025 at 5:17 PM
For Huss (the owner of this magazine), the connective tissue between his Christian Identity theology & his faith in "natural" foods was the idea that there were "pure" things (like white Christians & spirulina) & "impure" things (like Jews, non-white people, & soda pop).
bsky.app/profile/seth...
bsky.app/profile/seth...
Reposted by StatsJew
When I was young I remember seeing a holiday special of Puzzle Place where the Christian character hangs the Jewish character’s menorah on the Christmas tree and then is surprised when she gets mad. It’s the best representation I’ve seen of how I feel every year.
November 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
When I was young I remember seeing a holiday special of Puzzle Place where the Christian character hangs the Jewish character’s menorah on the Christmas tree and then is surprised when she gets mad. It’s the best representation I’ve seen of how I feel every year.