Miami The first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas Day for the first time in almost two decades, an unusual occurrence of the Jewish and Christian holidays falling on different calendars.
Numerous religious communities with diverse customs and cultures can be found in many parts of the nation. For example, South Florida has the third highest Jewish population in the nation, while having a much higher proportion of Christians, including Catholics. And because of the holidays’ common themes of hope and light, church leaders argue that this year’s convergence of Christmas and Hanukkah presents a chance to strengthen ties between different religions.
According to the Rev. Priscilla Felisky Whitehead, Christmas get-togethers are an ideal opportunity for individuals to become familiar with one another’s customs.
Whitehead, who served as a pastor at The Church by the Sea in Bal Harbour for 22 years, said it’s a chance to truly hear people’s experiences and to take the time to learn about their history, the significance of their families and faith groups, and their worldview.
According to Whitehead, the holidays give people the chance to put aside their political beliefs and interact with others in the places where friends, family, tradition, and faith have the biggest impact on their lives.
Many South Florida church leaders believe that fostering connections with individuals from diverse religious backgrounds is crucial to creating a more cohesive community. With origins in Miami in the 1930s, interfaith cooperation is frequently promoted as a means of fostering understanding and finding common ground amidst discrimination and fear of the other.
However, as noted by well-known Rabbi Ralph Kingsley of North Miami, interfaith discussion also involves acknowledging individuals’ differences.
According to Kingsley, the fact that we are all unique and have the freedom to be that way while also respecting the right of others to live their own lives is what unites us as human beings the most. And I believe that during this specific season, both of our traditions attempt to convey that message.
As a 91-year-old rabbi for almost 30 years at Temple Sinai of North Dade, Kingsley recalls the continuous struggles for separation of church and state throughout his early years. He acknowledges that he was keen about avoiding public celebrations of religious holidays. However, he feels differently now.
I have somewhat come to value the fact that, in addition to a Christmas tree or creche, there is also a menorah nowadays. Americans have been educated throughout the years that they must coexist with both and value the existence of the other.
Whitehead and Kingsley have been friends for a long time, in part due to their involvement in interfaith circles in South Florida. Unexpectedly, they were reunited when they both moved into the Vi senior living complex at Aventura.
Every year, Sarah Robleto and Frank Robleto Jr. celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas at their Cutler Bay home.AL DIAZ’S PHOTO
Different holidays, same roots
Jews and Christians already share many similarities because they are both from Abrahamic religions, which means that they believe Abraham was the first prophet with whom God established a covenant. This belief is also shared by Muslims.
According to Hafner of the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, both traditions were born together in these old tales, and while they diverge somewhat, their foundations are essentially the same.
Since the early Christians were descended from the Jewish heritage, they would have known Hanukkah, Passover, and many other customs. We also understand Jesus as Jewish.
Despite coming from rather distinct origins, Christmas and Hanukkah share certain commonalities: they are both, in a sense, celebrations of hope and light amid the darkest season of the year.
According to Rabbi Kingsley, it is a moment for both of our religious traditions to highlight the value of hope and light, as the winter months are becoming more and more gloomy—not so much in Florida, but up north, for sure.
Rabbi Kingsley pointed out that both holidays are observed in post-biblical times and are not genuinely based on the Bible.
The exact date of Jesus’ birth and the celebration of Christmas are not mentioned in the Bible, despite the fact that it makes numerous references to the birth of Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary. The Apocrypha, Jewish texts not found in the Hebrew Bible, is another source from which Jews learn about Hanukkah.
Similar to this, Hanukkah’s genesis story is rooted in a historical occurrence that happened during a turbulent period for Jews.
The holiday of Hanukkah honors the Jewish people’s triumph over the Syrian army in their struggle for religious freedom. The Maccabees, a nonconformist army, successfully fought and won the rededication of their temple in Jerusalem during the Syrians’ attempts to force their religion and culture on the Jewish people.
According to Kingsley, the miracle of that season occurred because they had only enough oil to last for one night when they attempted to rekindle the eternal light in the ancient temple in Jerusalem, but it lasted for eight. The ability of this tiny band of Maccabees to overthrow this vast Syrian empire, however, is the ultimate miracle.
According to Kingsley, Christmas originated as a result of the Maccabees’ victory.
It’s an intriguing turn of events since without that triumph, Christmas would not have existed since Judaism, from which Christianity eventually sprang, would not have existed.
Interfaith family celebrations
Some families experience the blending of two religions on a daily basis. While her husband, Frank Robleto, was born in Nicaragua and raised Catholic, Sarah Robleto, a native of Miami, is Jewish. They had two weddings when they were married. The family of four now incorporates customs from both religions into their annual celebrations of Hanukkah and Christmas.
We certainly do both. And because the first night [of Hanukkah] falls on Christmas night this year, it’s kind of much more wonderful, Sarah remarked. She included a crucial disclaimer: the kids don’t receive twice as many presents.
Early on in their conversation about how to combine their two religious origins, the Robletos’ two children, Jacob, 19, and Madelyne, 13, were both raised Jewish.
“Our children were brought up in a religious environment, which is my biggest worry,” Frank stated. I didn’t mind any religion, Catholicism or Judaism. The fact that they were raised Jewishly pleased me.
Currently residing in Cutler Bay, the Robletos attend Saint Louis Catholic Church in Pinecrest on some Catholic holidays as well as Temple Judea, a Reform synagogue in Coral Gables. Frank, who is still a practicing Catholic, said that the rabbis and friendly environment at the synagogues his family has attended have made it easier for him to attend services that are different from what he is used to.
It all comes down to how welcoming the church or temple is to marriages between people of different faiths. Fortunately for us, they have been willing to invite me as well because Sarah and I have visited Reform temples a lot.
The Robletos will spend Christmas with their extended family in Georgia this year. To give her nieces and nephews a genuine Hanukkah experience, however, Sarah intends to throw a Hanukkah night.
Interfaith work, according to Rev. Laurinda Hafner, who is well-known in the community for using her faith to support social justice concerns, is also about cooperating to achieve a common objective. Her congregation has held panels to address Christian Nationalism, a subject she claims is shared by many religious leaders, as well as events against the idea of book bans in schools. Additionally, she claims that when individuals can get together, eat together, and converse, interfaith work is most successful.
“I am convinced that the real interfaith dialogue and the real interfaith work begin when you sit down with other people around the table and enjoy a meal together, break bread, or have a glass of wine,” Hafner said.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!