Well, it's another Chrismukkah.
Who would believe it? I wouldn't have, except I was visited by the scary ghosts of Chrismukkah past in the form of my first "fan mail" of the season.
By Chrismukkah 2005, the controversy had pretty much died down as Chrismukkah seemed to receive mainstream acceptance. But now, with my new book (Chrismukkah: Everything You Need to Know to Celebrate the Hybrid Holiday) arriving in stores, there seems to be a fresh audience of narrow-minded folks being exposed to Chrismukkah for the first time. Take this cheery good tidings of an email:
"Dear Mr. Gompertz,
You think you're doing such a noble thing. After all, there are all those poor interfaith families with nothing to hold on to! You should be ashamed of yourself making money on trying to reduce the already shrinking jewish population. I picked up your book at Borders and felt sick.
There is NO correlation between Christmas and Chanukah. There is no way one who knows anything about the two religions could ever rationalize such a thing. One is Jesus as the Messiah (whom, you might remember, we as Jews do not recognize) and there is the Historical holiday of the Maccabeans.
What you are doing is justifiying a jewish man's choice to marry out of his religion and allow a shiksa to raise her children that way.
To tell you the truth, you should be shot. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you.
I spit on you and your whole marketing scheme. I hope your ill-gotten money comes to no good for you."
Oy.
L'shona tova to you too.