Thursday, December 11, 2008

Santa in Tel Aviv

B"H

While passing the ground floor of the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv these days, I don't feel like I am in Israel anymore. Not that the ground floor is too Israeli anyway. Usually you hardly see any Israeli / Jewish stores but rather food stores selling Thai food. Not cooked but in cans or ingredients, noodles, rice, everything from Thailand or the Philippines.

In case you are passing the ground floor in the evening, Russian or Thai music is coming out of the loud speakers; as well as commercials in those languages.

And now, as every year before the Christian Xmas, plenty of stands (mostly run by Russians) selling plastic Xmas trees, decoration, Santas and further Xmas items have opened. I just pass without taking a closer look but it does bother me that such idol worship is taking place in our country.

One can say that the foreign workers have a right to celebrate their holidays as well. The only problem is that more and more secular Israelis have been starting to celebrate Xmas. Not for religious purposes but because they think it is cozy and fun having the tree, some music and presents. And selling all the idol worship equipment publicaly inside the Central Bus Station may cause more Jews to get tempted.

3 comments:

  1. Miriam

    I wanted to thank you for your answers to my questions about Mishkenos Haroim (sorry I didn't thank you earlier, but I had a serious computer problem). If you don't mind: two more questions:

    1) There's some confusion about whether they're a hassidut or not. What is your opinion.

    2) Do you know where there ancestry is from ? Is it Hungary ?

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  2. wow thats not good!!

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  3. B"H

    Not good to have xmas trees at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station ?
    However, unfortunately it is reality.



    I think that they are a organization with its own synagogue.
    Group may be the wrong word, as many of them come over from other
    er chassidic groups like the Toldot Aharon. Their Chassidim come over for the Mishkenot HaRoim service.

    The present Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Rabinovitch, has his family roots in Rudhzin - Boyan (from the Ukraine).

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