Menorah as holiday decoration
QP
3 Posts
Along with traditional Christmas trees, poinsettia plants and a few Santa Clauses, our Company has displayed a Menorah - basically, out of respect for our large Jewish clientele. This year, we received a complaint from a Muslim employee. Although the Menorah is symbolic of the Jewish population's celebration of the Holiday season (and apparently honored by at least some Muslim followers), is it considered SO representative of a particular religious faith that it falls under the same prohibition as a Nativity scene, for instance?
Comments
I don't think so - and I think you can back that up by all the mainstream commercialization going on regarding Christmas and Chanukah. What I worry about is did this same Muslim employee complain about the Christmas decorations? Instead of worrying about how the company may be perceived as discriminatory by this employee - the employee may, by singling out an objection to the display of a Menorah, be discriminating against a particular faith.
You will also hear from the other side of the room who will suggest you sanitize the workplace of anything other than work papers and the timekeeper.
(edit) Also, would you please elaborate as to specifically what the complaint was?
(I am not saying it's right - but I am saying it drastically simplifies our work life)...
Being in HR I fully undertand that oft times one must simply put on your game face and just do it, what ever that may involve. But will there ever be a limit or will it just keep growing? It seems the things that I must "put up with" and defend in the work place and even to help someone or some small group get their way for something that I personally do not support or believe in; guess I am just getting old and set in my ways.
At least I didn't have a jelly fish swim in my shorts. I love this job.
Thanks for the vent,
Dutch2
"And, yes, I know that the tradition of the Christmas tree goes back to the pagans, or the druids or something - but the fact remains that it's generally considered a secular symbol."
When I was in the Air Force, remember I was a Chapel Management Specialist, I worked with Eastern Orthodox Chaplins, Catholic Chaplins, Protestant Chaplins, Jewish Chaplins, etc. and my Jewish Chaplin would read you the riot act for saying that the Christmas tree is considered secular. It just ain't so.
A simple test. Ask people what they associate the "Christmas" tree with. I bet most will associate it with Santa and presents and big ham or turkey dinners. Then ask what is the true meaning of Christmas from the biblical perspective - hint it is not about Santa Claus. Christmas has strayed from being a religious holiday to secular festival of commercialization.
I'm more inclined to side with Don than with others calling out for 'sanitation'. I would rather see 'cooperation' and religious unity/tolerance during this time of year than completely wiping out all references. I mean, talk about a pink elephant in the room! I don't mind symbols, I mind preachers &/or their written materials in the workplace.
The bigger issue to me, rather than a discussion of wreaths, trees and Santa Claus is why did the ee complain only about the Menorah & not the Christian stuff?
King Tut never saw a Christmas tree, but he would have understood the tradition which traces back long before the first Christmas, says David Robson, Extension Educator, Horticulture with the Springfield Extension Center.
The Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshipped evergreens. When the winter solstice arrived, they brought green date palm leaves into their homes to symbolize life's triumph over death.
The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one's journey through life.
Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.
Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early traditions.
I just remembered my last boss, bless his heart. He was a Jewish bookkeeper. Actually the CFO, but I called him the Jewish bookkeeper. Every Christmas he would take all the departments that reported to him out for a big lunch. He called it a Christmas lunch and he gave us all little wrapped presents. I taunted him with Snickers on those days when his religion required him to fast all day.
Of course, the Christmas tree is not secular (otherwise it would be the non-holiday tree or the decorated tree). It one representation of a particular holiday. And for those of you concerned that Christians are being picked on remember that Christmas is not only a religious holiday but it is, also, the only national holiday that falls on a religious (for some) day.
Snowmen are secular. I was going to say Santa was secular but a few years ago some parents in a school in Texas (where else), got the teacher fired because Santa can be anagrammed into Satan and therefore has no place in the classroom.
At my company, decorations are put up by a committee that represents most of our employees. It has been an educational experience but as a side effect it has resulted in a much higher level of mutual tolerance and understanding(something which this time of year should represent) throughout the company. I don't remember receiving a complaint from anyone except the token agnostic.
Is this what we are coming to in the workplace?
And as far as Christians being picked on, I'm not opposed to the Star of David or a menorah displayed and want the same for Christian symbols. The problem, Jews have been persecuted in the past and were afraid to display symbols of their faith - even in America. Christians were in the majority and had complete freedom. Jews have more freedoms today, and Christians "seem" to be losing some. That loss is hard to accept.
But, Whatever, I do appreciate your Jewish perspective.
I think the problem is this. The Jews and other non-Christian groups want exactly the same respect and freedom for their religion as the Christians do. The Christians feel that losing some of their freedoms. The rest of us feel that we are still gaining the freedoms and opportunities you enjoy. Unfortunately, we are both right.
>afraid to display the symbols of our faith--it
>was that we were persecuted (or killed) if we
>did.
>
>I think the problem is this. The Jews and other
>non-Christian groups want exactly the same
>respect and freedom for their religion as the
>Christians do. The Christians feel that losing
>some of their freedoms. The rest of us feel
>that we are still gaining the freedoms and
>opportunities you enjoy. Unfortunately, we are
>both right.
Whatever, I stand corrected. There is a vast difference between being afraid to do something and persecution with possible death. But, I did say "persecution" in my post. And I agree with your 2nd paragraph, that is what I was trying to say. Both sides are experiencing change, and change can be hard to accept especially if there is a perception of loss associated with the change. I hope you realize I was not trying to minimize what the Jews have experienced throughout history. And the perceived loss of Christians does not even come close to what the Jews have experienced.
I say that because I am firmly planted in uncertainty with this one. I think I understand all the perspectives presented and see the logic and, in some cases, fervor that permeate them.
In the end, is it right for a private company to celebrate or recognize religious practices in the workplace?
We can all celebrate or not at home. That is one of our freedoms. When taxpayer money is involved, all of the citizens - and especially their legal representatives - can have a say about how our tax dollars are spent on public grounds. In the retail workplace, it is more about what the customers expect to see than almost anything else (ka-ching, ka-ching - old cash register noise for those who wonder).
We have government money and donor money keeping our doors open and get the whole sanitized perspective from the one, and the mostly Christian perspective from the other. But all want to see an acknowledgement of the holiday.
Some of staff are devout in their faith and some firmly agnostic. No athiests that I know of, but plenty of different viewpoints. So we use politically correct materials for public dissemination regarding the holidays. And we allow some tasteful (?), understated decorations for staff's cubicles and offices. No one has complained yet, but when (not if) it happens, I suspect we will head toward more sanitization. Seems to be the trend.
Avoid liability exposure and do not offend the people with the money.
I say leave them all up and teach ALL your employees the importance of diversity and understanding differences. Add more religious symbols of other religions if anything, don't take them down.
Sanitizing the workplace of these and other things does nothing to help promote understanding. Everything is going to offend someone at sometime, people need to learn that the world doesn't revolve around what they take exception to.
Good luck and keep us posted.
And I want to be Kramer! x:D
So Mwild's Elaine, HRsage is Kramer... personally I don't care who I am, as long as it's not George. x:D