Rabbi Levinsky Sermon: December 26

Cultural Christmas

This is going to be a fun one. There was a tradition at the congregation that I served in Chicago to involve Christmas carols written by Jews in the service closest to Christmas. There was always a crowd. I’m sure many of you love the cultural aspects of Christmas; by that, I mean Christmas without Christianity. My sermon will be on that topic. What role does cultural Christmas play in Jewish life? How do we maintain Jewish identity without sealing ourselves off from the world around us? How can we contact other religions with openness, not fear? I’ll discuss these and other questions.