An Untitled Novel, Part 7

Mytreetopper.com started to sell a Magen David tree topper for Christmas. I wanted to get one offline or even in a store in Baltimore if I could find one. My dad said no. "I am not Jewish. I do not care if you and your mother-- and your sisters-- are Jewish. Your brothers and me are not Jewish. So we will not get a Star of David tree topper. Besides, your mother's the one who lets you celebrate that holiday for the White man's messiah, and she doesn't even believe that he's the Jewish Messiah."


A similar occurrence took place when I wanted to put my electric menorah in the window for Hanukkah and asked him about it. "No!" he responded. But I even quoted from the Soncino Talmud, the Talmud Bavli equivalent of the Christian King James Bible, to explain why the menorah was to go in the window at least until we all went to bed each night-- actually, in the window l'kol Yamim-Hanukkah and turned on each night until we all went to bed:

"Our Rabbis taught: It is incumbent to place the Hanukkah lamp by the door of one's house on the outside;  if one dwells in an upper chamber, he places it at the window nearest the street. But in times of danger  it is sufficient to place it on the table. Raba said: Another lamp is required for its light to be used; yet if there is a blazing fire it is unnecessary. But in the case of an important person,even if there is a blazing fire another lamp is required.

"What is  Hanukkah? For our Rabbis taught: On the twenty-fifth of Kislew the days of Hanukkah, which are eight on which a lamentation for the dead and fasting are forbidden.  For when the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and defeated them, they made search and found only one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the High Priest,  but which contained sufficient for one day's lighting only; yet a miracle was wrought therein and they lit  therewith for eight days. The following year these  were appointed a Festival with Hallel  and thanksgiving."

My dad responded, "I and your brothers are not Jewish. It is not going in my window."