Seattle Airport Removes Christmas Trees

Rabbi's Request For A Menorah Ignored; Instead, Officials Take Down Christmas Display

(AP)  All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.

Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.

"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. "We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn't add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.

"Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season," said Bogomilsky, who works in Seattle at the regional headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation.

After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.

Hanukkah begins this Friday at sundown.

"They've darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up," said Bogomilsky's lawyer, Harvey Grad. "There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch."

Craig Watson, the port's chief lawyer, said Bogomilsky had threatened to file the lawsuit if the port didn't make a decision by the end of last week.

"It just wasn't going to get done before the threatened lawsuit was filed. They said they were on their way to the courthouse," Watson said. "We're not in the business of offending anyone, and we're not eager to get into a federal lawsuit with anyone."

Port commissioner John Creighton said he'd hoped the trees would come down "quietly." Instead, airline employees called Seattle television stations. Creighton said he's received several irate e-mails.

tis the season to get wealthy.....

Just imagine being jewish, you could walk around town and find every establishment that has a tree with no menorah in sight, write down the name of that establishment, then after having about 1000 or so names, sue each one and become richer than Bill Gates. The rabbi needs to get a life.....

[bamafanphil]

The Rabbi is being is not being very realistic. Did he think the guys at SeaTac HAD an 8ft Menorah just lying around in storage, but didn't put it up to irritate the Jewish community? Or were they supposed to run out to 'MENORAHS "R" US' and pick one up? Lighten up guys. A recent poll I read had 53% saying, in so many words, to forget the menorah, leave the trees and let'em sue.

[ronniehm]

SeaTac's (Seattle-Tacoma's) response was brilliant, because this way, the rabbi's lawyer won't see a dime. When they put up the trees next year, you won't find that lawyer anywhere near them.

[afubar69]

SeaTac = Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

[johnmag]

I'm sorry but what is SeaTac?

[gailherzog]

Now that SeaTac has been disgraced nationally and probably internationally, how about an immediate turn around: Replace the trees, put up a Menorah and all and any cultural and spiritual symbols that portray this season for what it really is - LOVE, GIVING, TOLERANCE AND NON-JUDGMENTALISM. Let's make SeaTac truly warm and welcoming for ALL beliefs and cultures and set the example for other airports!

[johnmag]

Sorry to say that in a court of law%u2026. Christmas Trees, Santa and even Rudolf will be implied as a Christian view of what Christmas is all about and I am also sorry to mention this, but in most households today%u2026 the birth of Christ is 2nd place wake up everyone!!!!

[jbob1000]

Since when did this country become controlled by the voice of one person? Yes, the airport did the right thing in the face of a lawsuit that would easily drag on for years and cost millions of dollars. Instead of dismantling and removing the Christmas trees, we should be dismantling and removing our current joke of a judicial system.

[elgodsell]

This is really bad. We are taking away the things that drove America into a future. This nation is going to fall if we keep it up. The celebration of Christmas is going to be taken from the market place - nor will there be a place to worship if people keep this up. America, where are you going? - its not what it use to be. We are slowly returning to the very place our relatives ran from. Merry Christmas

[afubar69]

I think SEATAC made the right decision. Instead of bowing down to a bully, they turned the tables and put the blame of that decision, squarely where it belonged, on the Rabbi and his willingness to sue. Now he's afraid that he and the Jews will be blamed, go figure. Bravo SEATAC officials.

[japjxp]

I have difficulty understanding why the airport felt the need to remove the trees. Christmas trees have far more to do with the secular side of Christmas than the religious side. Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Frosty, et al. have, for many years been more about the secular celebration than about the birth of Christ. This would be akin to removing the Easter Bunny from National view in fear of offending another' religion.
Although they are incorporated into Christians' celebrations, they are just as relevent to many non-Christians.

[joehill101]

It wouldn't be Christmas anymore without this kind of thing, would it? P

First of all, Christmas trees are NOT symbols of Christianity. You can look at all the paintings in the Vatican you want and I can assure you that there are many Christian symbols in them, but a Christmas tree is not one of them. This is because the Christmas tree is not a Christian symbol. It is PAGAN in origin, and to me, simply symbolizes the Winter Solstice, when the days go from being shorter to being longer. Strange how Christ's birthday and the Winter Solstice fall on the same day, isn't it? Unless, say, the Christians just coopted the Pagan Winter Solstice celebration for Jesus, "the light of the world."

So I think of the Christmas tree as about as Christian as Santa Claus, who doesn't show up in any of the Vatican's paintings either. Can you image? With Rudolph? Santa, too, is just an old pleasant tradition that Jews often misinterpret as a Christian symbol.

But since a lot of people do think of Christmas trees as Christian, I think the Rabbi had at least enough of a case to file it, but he and his lawyer would have been wise to act as Jesus advised and turned the other cheek instead of acting like Christmas-season bullies.

[winsors1]

Once again the feathers are flying because of differing religious ideologies...Can we go back to 1492, 1776, how bout 1956....Doesn't anyone see what's going on?????? Guess not!!!! Jesus "IS" the reason for the Season...but...Not for some!!!

[nicoleanna]

I will be arriving at my hometown airport of Seatac, a few days before Christmas.. and I have to say it is just not going to be the same without the Christmas trees.. i miss them already

[dbstevens]

Threatening lawsuits is disgusting. I'm so ashamed of what our country has become. In my book, these sorts of lawsuits and threats of lawsuits are one person's attempt to thwart the freedom of another, and should be illegal.

I completely agree with respecting religious beliefs. I've always felt that the primary focus being on the Christian religion was ironically against our country's supposed principles.

I also agree that we can't be anthropologists and cater to EVERY religion.

I lived in New York for many years...where there are more Jewish people than in Israel. During that time, I began to observe the holidays from a generic standpoint. I now wish people "Happy Holidays."

My solution is simple and obvious. Simply decorate for the HOLIDAYS with motifs that are not specific to any religion. Lights, garlands, ornaments, etc. Just avoid anything with a religious connotation, and they could even avoid too much red and green. My home is decorated this year with tons of lights and silver tinsel, but no tree.

I wish I could just grab the world by the ears, shake them like my Mom used to do and tell them "get a clue!" But people are basically confrontational. No matter WHAT someone does, SOMEONE is going to cry "foul!"

But I have lost any respect for a *** RABBI...a religious leader who's supposed to be teaching love and respect...threatening to sue. He's no leader, he's an idiot with no understanding of the thing he's supposed to be leading.

[jt92202]

I live in the Seattle Area, on talk radio this morning they had the Rabbi on to tell his side of the story. He did not threaten to sue, his lawyer did to see if he could get the Airport to act faster, he is extremely upset by the decision the Airport made and wants them to put the trees back up even if the menorah doesn't go up too. The fact is the Supreme Court has already decided that a Christmas or Holiday Tree and the Menorah in itself is not sufficiently secular to promote a secular religious belief. So whats the big deal on either one!! And if other cultures with holiday's around this time wants to show their symbols let them thats how we learn about other cultures!! This is stupid, every year someone complains and we react by taking the tree or what ever down then it hits the news papers and we have to hear about it for the rest of the season. It's time WE THE PEOPLE decide what we want and don't want and tell our GOVERNMENT the majority wins!!!!!!!

[johnmag]

I do believe that this is a great country built on diversity however people just have too much time on their hands and forget why the masses escaped other countries to become citizens of a free country. I do think it%u2019s important to observe other ways of thinking however when does it end? My fear is for the future of our country, lets face it, in the past 7 years our freedoms have become a bit more limited. This issue at the airport will only spark religious groups to examine other public displays of the season and jump on the bandwagon. My concern is will the day come when all public holiday displays are governmentally regulated, displaying all religious views in equal proportion and not to include extra decorations to over power any other display of the season? This could be achieved with a governmental approved poster which would be the only display used by law. I know this may sound a bit outrageous however lets look at our history , not only in this country but world wide.

[dbarjim]

I am sick and tired of people threatening to sue because they are offended by something. 96% of the people in the United States celebrate Christmas. Why is a 1% group given the POWER to dicate would goes on, this is UTTERLY stupid. The Rabi knew what he was doing when he made the threat that he was going to sue the airport. The Rabi did the wrong thing here, he should respect others rights to worship, as we do to respect his right to worship.
Jim

[mreberry]

I will be glad when the day comes when things like this don't get so much attention. A Jewish educator was trying for recognition of his own holiday this time of year. I think he was wrong in his judgment, but we have all done things we have regretted. The decision by the airport was probably right because there might be more lawsuits from other groups. It is not a big impact on anyone. I consider a Christmas tree as secular symbol like Santa Claus. But it is no big deal. I just don't like giving publicity to Jews, Christians, Moslems, Atheists, or any other type of person that make these kinds of controversies.