Unholy: Two Jews on the News Two Jews take on Christmas
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Dec 25, 2025 Explore how Jewish identity intersects with Christmas traditions. The hosts discuss the complexities of Jews opting out of Christmas, sharing unique customs like movie nights and Chinese food. They delve into Jewish contributions to Christmas culture through music and film. Debates arise over adopting holiday symbols and the implications of political imagery. Insights on Christmas in Israel highlight cultural nuances. Finally, the hosts share favorite holiday films, revealing personal connections and surprising joys.
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Deliberate Christmas Opt-Out
- Jonathan Freedland recalls deliberately opting out of Christmas and traveling on Christmas Day to make it feel like nothing special.
- He remembers relatives avoiding the word
Plausibly Deniable Treif
- Jonathan explains the
Tree As Assimilation Symbol
- Yonit Levi cites Pew data showing about one-third of American Jews put up a Christmas tree, often in interfaith or secular families.
- Jonathan notes many still avoid the tree due to assimilation anxieties and historical symbolism.
