Chinese Food on Xmas

I’m happy to announce that my non-profit organization – JSL – is today completing our first week in our first office space outside my home. I’ve hired staff for the first time in order to try to scale my work to many more people. Thank you to all those who have made contributions to help us in achieving our mission. We continue to send out books and to teach around the country, and jewishspirituality.net is almost live.... The added financial burden has been manageable thanks to your support. Most of all, thank you for reading the Table Talk and sharing it with others. Like Time Magazine, I solute you.

This week’s edition is dedicated to the loving memory of Bert Walker, whose Yartzeit falls this week.

Incidentally, Bert’s grandson recently sent me an email:

Hey Rabbi,

This is me playing a song I wrote back in college.

Chinese Food on Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtUYaSfC20Y

-Brandon

Now if you are a regular Table Talk reader you know that I occasionally send video links. Some people confess that they don’t take the time to view the videos. That’s unfortunate because I’m sending you only the best of the best. Certainly true in this case. This is the #2 “Talked-About” music video right now and for good reason. It also tops the charts in other categories, such as “most viewed”.

So watch it, learn it, and sing it at your dinner table. Here are the lyrics:

Santa doesn’t come down my chimney
Or leave presents under my tree
He’s made his list and he’s checkin it twice
But nowhere on there is me.

It’s not that I’ve been naughty
I’m a real good kid, I swear...
There’s just something you should know about me
Something I’d like to share...

I eat Chinese food on Christmas
Go to the movie theater too
There just ain’t much else to do on Christmas
When you’re a Jew

When you’re out with the family
Getting ready for the Big Day
I’m at home playing dreidel
And eating latkes that Bubbe made

No, I’m not “dreaming of a white Christmas”
It’s not that I don’t like snow (I love snow)
It’s just that if we were all snowed in on Christmas
I’d have no place to go....

(Chorus)

© Copyright Brandon Walker, all rights reserved.

It’s a fun song, catchy tune. But who would have thought that it would rise to #2 on youtube?. With over 360,000 viewers?

If you go to the youtube link you will see that there are also over 2,000 written comments (some people even created video comments). While most are favorable, it shocked me how many anti-Semites came out of the woodwork. (Ahh, the power of the internet....)


After you get everyone at the table singing, a few questions:

1. Does this song describe anyone you know?
2. Xmas is an official American holiday – good or bad for the Jews?

+ + +

What’s the connection to Hannuka?

It’s all about how you answer Q1 and Q2.

Hannukah is not anti-Xmas per se. The meditation of Hannuka is to recognize that for a Jew, the day-off on Dec 25 is value neutral. Extra time is like any material gift, be it an iPod or even your body... Is it for increased self-indulgence and self-gratification, or for more wisdom and kindness?

(That said, it sure is fun to hit those slopes when there are no lines...!)

It all depends on what you fill it with and what you do with it.


Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hannukah.


Know someone who might enjoy this blog? Please send them the link or invite them to subscribe to the email version.