CCAR RESPONSA
Contemporary American Reform Responsa
172. Holiday Greetings
QUESTION: The
author of a monthly house organ is Jewish and wishes to know how to treat the holiday season in
his magazine. What kind of religious message and what kind of religious symbols would be
appropriate for use by a Jewish author in what essentially is a limited circulation magazine whose
readership is largely non-jewish? (Dr. S. Millman, Arnold, MD)
ANSWER: Jews and
Christians have for many centuries worked together in business enterprises. Although the
Talmud (Bek. 2b) prohibited business relationships between Jews and pagans, as soon as
Christianity was recognized as a monotheistic religion, this prohibition was no longer in effect.
The medieval Rabenu Tam (Tosfot. to Bek. 2b) stated that it was perfectly permissible to
enter into a business partnership or other close business relationship with a Christian. There are
many records of such partnerships with Christians and Muslims (I. A. Agus, The Heroic Age
of Franco-German Jewry, pp. 130 ff; S. D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society, VoI. 1,
pp. 169 ff; Muller, Mafteah, pp. 153, 219; Israel Isserlein, Terumat Hadeshen,
152). Jews and Christians worked closely together and wished each other well on holidays
through appropriate greetings as well as gifts (Güdemann, Geschichte des
Erziehungswesens, pp. 144 ff; Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim, 224, and Magen
Avraham). Jews exchanged gifts with Christians and vice versa (Solomon ben Adret,
Responsa #175; Berliner, Aus dem inneren Leben, pp. 18 ff; Güdemann,
op. cit., VoI. 3, pp. 89 ff; Isserlein Terumat Hadeshen #195). This was part of the
general social life which Jews and Christians shared.
In keeping with this spirit there
would be nothing that would prevent a Jewish editor of a non-Jewish magazine from expressing
either specifically Christmas or general holiday greetings. If for other reasons it seems
appropriate to keep the holiday greetings neutral and not specifically religious, that may be
preferable.
March 1982
If needed, please consult Abbreviations used in CCAR Responsa.