I can see that you find this offensive, and I simply don't think I'd be offended in a similar situation (if a Christian holiday celebrated in America were described to an international audience according to its more secular customs.) That doesn't mean you don't have a right to your own feelings, but I admit I don't identify with them. And if it's important for people outside the Jewish faith to show respect for the Jewish traditions by making a greater attempt to understand them, then isn't it a problem that many Jewish people DO describe this holiday that way? When I heard about the 'gaffe', I instantly remembered a friend from Israel who sent me photos of her kids dressed up for Purim and she wrote in the e-mail that it was like their version of Halloween. I assumed it had a different, deeper meaning, and she was just using that as shorthand to describe why her kids were in costumes. Just as Lieberman explained it that way to McCain as they discussed the danger to the kids during this holiday.

I can see that you find this offensive, and I simply don't think I'd be offended in a similar situation (if a Christian holiday celebrated in America were described to an international audience according to its more secular customs.) That doesn't mean you don't have a right to your own feelings, but I admit I don't identify with them. And if it's important for people outside the Jewish faith to show respect for the Jewish traditions by making a greater attempt to understand them, then isn't it a problem that many Jewish people DO describe this holiday that way? When I heard about the 'gaffe', I instantly remembered a friend from Israel who sent me photos of her kids dressed up for Purim and she wrote in the e-mail that it was like their version of Halloween. I assumed it had a different, deeper meaning, and she was just using that as shorthand to describe why her kids were in costumes. Just as Lieberman explained it that way to McCain as they discussed the danger to the kids during this holiday.

I can see that you find this offensive, and I simply don't think I'd be offended in a similar situation (if a Christian holiday celebrated in America were described to an international audience according to its more secular customs.) That doesn't mean you don't have a right to your own feelings, but I admit I don't identify with them. And if it's important for people outside the Jewish faith to show respect for the Jewish traditions by making a greater attempt to understand them, then isn't it a problem that many Jewish people DO describe this holiday that way? When I heard about the 'gaffe', I instantly remembered a friend from Israel who sent me photos of her kids dressed up for Purim and she wrote in the e-mail that it was like their version of Halloween. I assumed it had a different, deeper meaning, and she was just using that as shorthand to describe why her kids were in costumes. Just as Lieberman explained it that way to McCain as they discussed the danger to the kids during this holiday.

I fail to see how the Sderot context has any influence at all on how the holiday would be explained – you are not saying that Halloween has something to do with rocket fire??

Sorry – but unless you know a few things about this holiday and what it is like to be a Jew who constantly hears a holiday referred to in the least common denominator way even though it doesn't really serve as an adequate comparison – especially to a presidential candidate who is visiting the State of Israel, then I feel very safe in my assumption.

While it's true that Jews do and will often say that kids dress up like Halloween, the two holidays have NOTHING in common EXCEPT that. Period.

It is not and never was and never will be the Jewish Halloween.

Oy.

I fail to see how the Sderot context has any influence at all on how the holiday would be explained – you are not saying that Halloween has something to do with rocket fire??

Sorry – but unless you know a few things about this holiday and what it is like to be a Jew who constantly hears a holiday referred to in the least common denominator way even though it doesn't really serve as an adequate comparison – especially to a presidential candidate who is visiting the State of Israel, then I feel very safe in my assumption.

While it's true that Jews do and will often say that kids dress up like Halloween, the two holidays have NOTHING in common EXCEPT that. Period.

It is not and never was and never will be the Jewish Halloween.

Oy.

From Barak Obama's website.

Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation.

Okay lets consider both statements. Barak Obama seems to be the rational, non confrontational foreign policy candidate here who is reaching out with olive branches to our enemies. That is until you simply look at what he has said.

“We want the Iranians to know that we want to be moderate and that we want to work things out and have a happy coexistence…………..IF………..they will toe the line, concede to our demands otherwise we will slap them with sanctions and make life miserable.

Now why should they believe Barak Obama wants to work things out when he in his own words called Iran our ENEMY. He is moderate and reasonable and yet is calling the very people that he wants to work things out with ………..OUR ENEMY?

Forgive me but yes McCain is a foreign policy GENIUS when compared to Barak Obama. Someone writing his campaign website position reports doesn't even understand the value of semantics and implication when it comes to foreign policy.

From Barak Obama's website.

Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation.

Okay lets consider both statements. Barak Obama seems to be the rational, non confrontational foreign policy candidate here who is reaching out with olive branches to our enemies. That is until you simply look at what he has said.

“We want the Iranians to know that we want to be moderate and that we want to work things out and have a happy coexistence…………..IF………..they will toe the line, concede to our demands otherwise we will slap them with sanctions and make life miserable.

Now why should they believe Barak Obama wants to work things out when he in his own words called Iran our ENEMY. He is moderate and reasonable and yet is calling the very people that he wants to work things out with ………..OUR ENEMY?

Forgive me but yes McCain is a foreign policy GENIUS when compared to Barak Obama. Someone writing his campaign website position reports doesn't even understand the value of semantics and implication when it comes to foreign policy.

First, what is embarrassing about it (I tagged it as Embarrassment).

To me, it would be embarrassing if I visited the Vatican on Easter and referred to it to the press there as the Jewish Passover since they so often occur near each other and Good Friday is related to the Last Supper which was in fact a seder, only to learn that it's about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is definitely not the same as celebrating the Exodus from Egypt. That would embarrass me.