Not that the wrapping paper was heavily Christian. "Joy" surrounded by a pine wreath. A shark in a Santa hat. It wasn't like they were Three Wise Men Adoring the Christ Child at the Manger paper. But still harkening back to a holiday other than the one we were celebrating.
My wife said perhaps they had Hanukkah paper earlier in the season but were cleaned out. But Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day this year, and there would be no reason that Jews would clean out Target while the store groans under Christmas paper five days before Christmas. Hoarding against changes in society? I doubted that. My thought was that we just didn't clear the bar anymore, as a body of customers. They don't sell wrapping paper aimed at the Shakers either.
"Jews are only 1 percent of the population," I said.
My wife said perhaps they had Hanukkah paper earlier in the season but were cleaned out. But Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day this year, and there would be no reason that Jews would clean out Target while the store groans under Christmas paper five days before Christmas. Hoarding against changes in society? I doubted that. My thought was that we just didn't clear the bar anymore, as a body of customers. They don't sell wrapping paper aimed at the Shakers either.
"Jews are only 1 percent of the population," I said.
Or maybe Target's wrapping paper buyer is a 28-year-0ld who went to Oberlin College, who struck us off the list to light a candle for Gaza.
Gauging one's status in society from the holiday wrapping paper sold at Target is either invalid or inspired. It's probably a better gauge, not of them, but of us. Of unease. Between Israel's reaction to Oct. 7 becoming the oxygen-laden whirlwind that stoked every spark of anti-Semitism into a brush fire, and that person who glided back to the presidency on thick ooze of bigotry, there are reasons aplenty to be uneasy. The Jews aren't in the crosshairs, yet. But prejudice is practical — it oppresses whomever it can get away with oppressing.
Gauging one's status in society from the holiday wrapping paper sold at Target is either invalid or inspired. It's probably a better gauge, not of them, but of us. Of unease. Between Israel's reaction to Oct. 7 becoming the oxygen-laden whirlwind that stoked every spark of anti-Semitism into a brush fire, and that person who glided back to the presidency on thick ooze of bigotry, there are reasons aplenty to be uneasy. The Jews aren't in the crosshairs, yet. But prejudice is practical — it oppresses whomever it can get away with oppressing.
Liberals get slammed for being inclusive — we kept accepting trans people, it freaked out a chunk of the traditional Democratic base, and they voted for a liar, bully, fraud and traitor instead. There is sense lurking there. In 2016, British people were so worried a Turk would move next door that they left the European Union, shitcaning their whole economic system. Half the country is stretching to include everybody in one big happy family — well, not Jews, of course, thank you Gaza. We don't get a booth on the quad on Oppressed Peoples Day. And the other half is scanning the horizon, looking for someone to beat up. Not Jews, yet. But our number does have a way of coming up.
On Friday, Elon Musk, dissatisfied with being the shadow president elect in this country, entered German politics as well.
"Only the AfD can save Germany," Musk wrote to his 200 million plus followers on X. AfD is The Alternative for Germany, the racist, far-right party. Or, if you're in a rush, Nazis. I haven't deleted my account, yet, but I haven't posted there in weeks. I went on and unfriended Musk. Striking a blow for equality. So now he has 208,299,999 followers. Progress.
Target did offer a quite attractive snowflake pattern wrapping paper, in wintery aqua rather than Christmassy red, and as that wasn't tied in with the celebration of a faith not our own, we bought some.
For me, it isn't so much fear — I really don't think I'll be strolling down Michigan Avenue this spring, admiring the clouds, when a bunch of grinning jackbooted Red Hats will surround me and pluck out my beard, or force me to scrub the street with a toothbrush. Though the prospect comes to mind easily enough. It happened before.
Maybe it's just me, but it feels like the holiday seasons are less and less festive each year, and especially this year. The mood feels anxious and angry, not hopeful and warm. By most economic measures we seem to be doing better, but feeling like we're falling behind and looking at someone different than us to blame for it. Immigrants, Jews, Trans people. I think that was basically the Trump/Musk campaign, but it seems to be happening all over the world: "You are miserable and "They" of every kind are the cause of your misery".
ReplyDeleteI agree. Was just discussing with a friend yesterday “is it just me or is there a simmering rage felt underneath?”, and the extraordinary amounts of violence occurring in the world…she agreed people seem much angrier than usual, some depressed (what is getting depressed, etc)
DeleteIt's not just you...Decembers are more and more difficult as the Trump Era continues unabated, seemingly with no end in sight. Less and less of a stroll through a glittering, twinkling winter wonderland, and more and more of a slog down a muddy road in an embattled country, with snipers in the trees and landmines in the dirt. The anger is definitely out there, and it's palpable. Hence the instant and stunning transformation of a disturbed shooter into Robin Hoodie, folk hero.
DeleteMy father was not a religious person, but he grew up as a poor Jew, chased down the streets and kicked around by the Poles in Humboldt Park. He hated Christmas. He communicated that feeling to his only son, early and often. It became a party to which I was most definitely not invited. I even called it the Festival of Greed. Until I married a woman who adores it. And who indulges in all the trappings, as only someone of German heritage can. Some of that perpetual adoration has rubbed off on me. She has brought Christmas into my world. And now I even...sort of... enjoy it. This will be our 33rd Christmas together..
Despite the short December days that seem to fly by, the holiday season feels longer every year. .Starts in mid-November now. While battling the crowds and the traffic, during my annual last-second shopping frenzy, I can't wait for The Day to be over. And then, in the quiet days that follow Dec. 25, I begin to miss all the hoo-ha. Go figure, huh? "Goyische kopf" is Yiddish for ""Gentile head"...someone who is thinking like a non-Jew. Guilty as charged.
Are you sure? https://www.target.com/s/hanukkah+gift+wrap
ReplyDeleteIt's different to have items available discreetly online, where a political stance can't be inferred as easily. When they pulled Pride merchandise from stores earlier this year after some ginned-up controversy, they still had it available online also. https://thehill.com/business/4656364-target-pride-month-merchandise
Delete@Mark K. You must not be a Target shopper. You can check "pick up in store" and check that your store has it. When I checked, the stores close to Northbrook all had some selection of Hannukah wrappers.
DeleteMy gentile, gentle wife reports that Hanukkah gift wrap is not all that hard to find, including at Target stores. But a while back, she began buying enough of it to be able to hoard it, and her "stash" has lasted for quite a few years.
DeleteWhat IS difficult, she says, is finding Hanukkah candles, for the menorah I've lit since I was eleven years old. Fewer and fewer stores carry them, and she has had to resort to buying them online for the past five or six years. This year, she actually found them in a store. At a Target.
Neil, your originality in describing the subtle horrors within historically aware Jews is striking, to me. No sarcasm, not to me. Just stating your case. Curious, I looked up Pew Research on what are status is in America, in numbers: 2.4% Wow! Almost what it was when I was a child in the 1950's. Most of my 4 children are both culturally aware and reasonably observant. They are the 5th generation of us in America. No assimilation, not yet. Mt parents and grandparents would have never believed that the hellion I was as a kid would be possible as a transmitter of our culture. They didn't look close enough. Not nearly. I am far more involved than they were. Rest in peace, 1st and 2nd generations. Oh, and Happy Chanukkah, too.
ReplyDeleteI adhere to none of the big three, male-centric and male-dominated, religions. I guess if I'm anything I'm Pagan. But I know that malaise permeating the atmosphere now. Hard to celebrate much of anything when we're barreling full speed into authoritarianism and oligarchy .. fascism by somewhat less scary words. DJT and his unelected co-president Elon Musk are the nexus of blame for that malaise, tho the fools and bigots who voted for one of them bear a huge share of the responsibility. I think it can be overcome. To quote Joyce Vance, "we're in this together" regardless of religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the duopoly under which we have been governed for some 40 years was not wonderful. it was flawed and skewed towards wealthy, white, christian men.
Deleteas some democrats moved to the center and some farther to the left and republicans moved mostly farther to the right there was less and less willingness to act in a bipartisan manner.
trump in his effort to hijack the Republican Party ended up creating the maga.
slowly the moderate republicans have moved toward maga to keep from being rendered powerless.
shit like this can cast a pall over the holidays
merry Christmas, happy hanukah, kwanza and hopefully some sort of tolerable new year
Aldi also failed to stock any Chanukah merch although in past years they had a very nice selection. Sign of the times, I fear.
ReplyDeleteMy father's family left Vienna as Jews. They arrived on this side of the pond as Christians. Their background NEVER to be mentioned or discussed again. Not until the 1990s when an older brother took up the hobby of Geneology and started asking questions. Elderly cousins would look at each other and tell each other, "Don't answer that." Our Dad remained perfectly silent. So did his sister. Yet I'm quite certain he endured a good 40 years of Jew Jokes at the office. I went into the same line of work as Dad and met the same people and heard the same jokes. Only once did I EVER see someone stand up to a bigot in this regard. There was a crisis PR firm in Chicago called Jaskulka-Turman. Very well connected politically. Close to the Clintons. We were at a golf outing banquet at Olympia Fields Country Club around 1990. Jim Turman, one of the firm principals, was there. And by cocktail hour he'd had quite enough of one fellow's Jew Jokes. Turman had been in the foursome behind this fellow. Listening to his crap all day. Jim Turman grabbed the guy by his lapels and slammed him up against the wall and told him he'd kick the crap out of him if he heard one more Jew Joke. He shook the man like a rag doll for emphasis and then walked away. I wanted to cheer. But being only middle management myself I kept my mouth shut that day. We need more Jim Turmans and few people like me. Obviously.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, while Christmas shopping, I saw some pretty blue wrapping paper to use on family gifts. The pattern had what I thought were some form of Christmas tree ornament - only later did it dawn on me that the "ornaments" were dreidels. So while you and your wife had difficulty finding Hannukah paper, I bought some without recognizing it ( I used the rest of the paper for the next couple of Christmases )
ReplyDeleteThe Mariano's in East Lakeview has a couple choices of Hanukkah wrapping paper.
ReplyDeleteCitizens United and the idea that money is speech - provided courtesy of the Roberts court - has made this a country of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. Two malignant narcissist billionaires running our democracy. What could go wrong.
ReplyDeleteI was in two targets last week & both had Chanukah stuff on it's own aisle. Peterson Ave in Chicago & Touhy Ave in Niles.
ReplyDeleteI second the reference to Chicago's Peterson Ave Target -- a full Hanukkah aisle (both sides, long), and well-stocked, this past week. Apparently it depends where you live / shop.
DeleteI haven't noticed any specifically Jewish or Chanukka items in my local Jewel, but last Passover season there were a lot of them, including a large box (containing 4 smaller boxes) of Matzos for $4.49 that I picked up -- they're great for someone on a low sodium and reduced fat diet, much better than saltine crackers in my soups, although Swedish crackers are good too, though much more expensive. I've still got some matzos left -- should last at least until next Passover.
ReplyDeletejohn
Better chow down on them over the winter.
DeleteMatzos have a distressing tendency to go stale when not consumed..
And then, it has to be trashed. Even the cats won't eat it.
I will never understand antisemitism -maybe because my parents raised us to be accepting of all faiths, nationalities and races. My sister once said she thought it was jealousy -Jewish people, in her experience, supported education and make sure their kids were educated and effective members of society. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteI do not wish to make light of your disquiet about potential Red Hats. My grandmother was fond of telling the story of brushing the teeth of the Art Institute Lions as a sorority initiation. She claims no one stopped her and her fellow initiates. This would have been in the early 20s . The early 1920s that is.
ReplyDeleteMany documentaries about Hitler and the Nazis show how his hard-core Storm Troopers forced German and Austrian Jews to scrub graffiti from walls and sidewalks with toothbrushes. Especially after Kristallnacht, in 1938. I own a few of them. They are not easy to watch. So I don't.
DeleteYour post today was helpful to me! I celebrate Christmas, but also celebrate Hanukkah with Jewish friends. I try to be sensitive to (what i perceive to be) the overwhelming crush of 'my" holidays over other faiths, and try to respect the distinctness of Hanukkah. This season, I couldnt find appropriate paper. It never occurred to me there might be a connection between the lack of blue and silver wrapping paper and the rise in anti-semitism. (i know, the luxury of being in the non-oppressed group). I was irritated by the inconvenience, and partially blamed myself for not being better organized. But I see the situation differently now! I was considering wrapping the gifts in tinfoil, but after reading this, perhaps I should not attempt to paper over what is happening. Too appalling. I feel dumb for not making the connection myself, but I thank you for the context.
ReplyDeleteThe Container Store always has a nice selection of Hanukkah Wrapping paper.
ReplyDeleteNeil, your columns are never quite what I expect them to be, and always exceed my expectations. I had hoped for a diversion from my own navel gazing, and considering the resilience of a people so unfairly oppressed is a real world reason not to crawl into the closet until the holidays are over. Every day anyone can do what is good and right should be counted as a victory.
ReplyDeleteI read Neil's EGD posts regularly even though it might be days after they are posted. I'm a late riser and am always lagging those who get in early. Today's post makes me think of all the jokes about cheap Jews...and there are many....some of which are very funny. The punch line is always about the reverence for money. History is filled with such analogies. But there is nothing in that humor that equates with the greed of white, Christian espousing billionaires who control 98% of the world's wealth. With the exception of Melinda Gates and a few rare others, they don't give a fuck about the working class, the Jews, the poor, suffering immigrants, the homeless, the people of Gaza, the Ukrainians, or anyone else. What they care about most is wealth and money. For shame. Today's political insanity is embedded in making everyone believe that they too can be part of the pyramid scheme. But they can't. I try to protect my own space, knowing that the rest is not within my grasp. Today, we live in a global economy where Plutocracy reigns. Forget democracy. Forget autocracy. Forget socialism. Forget the free press. Forget all the other things that we think of as governmental institutions, checks and balances, and legal protections. The rich control all of that. Donald Trump and his minions are leading us into the unknown. I can only hope that they will not succeed.
ReplyDelete