JACS Jewish Holidays

JACS: Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others

JACS: AA & RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

From: Alex H. [mailto:odat@utj.org]

Friday, September 08, 2000 6:29 PM

I have figured out a way to discuss Jewish religious issues in AA meetings. I wait until someone brings up something about a Christian issue such as Christmas, Easter or St. Patrick's Day. These all inevitably come up in AA discussion. Here is what I do....

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St. Patrick's Day:
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Usually this Christian holiday is close to Purim where we are commanded to drink until we cannot distinguish between the names Mordechai and Haman. I then go into detail about how Jewish law forbids anyone placing one's self in danger so that an alcoholic is NOT commanded to drink and in fact is commanded to stay sober because the saving of a life over-rides almost all commandments.

This discussion will make some people uncomfortable, but if you wait until someone else brings up St. Patrick's Day they can hardly complain when you wax into a Jewish religious issue. You will also be helping other Jews in the meeting to feel that Judaism is accepted in the meeting and that Judaism supports them in their sobriety.

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Easter
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This Christian holiday usually occurs around Passover. I wait until someone speaks about Easter so that no one can complain that I am bringing up a religious subject. I then speak of the 4 cups of wine at the Passover Seder and the requirement to drink the 4 cups. I will bring up Rabbi Klein's [actually the Shulchan Aruch's] opinion that one should endeavor to drink the wine even if one's health would be in danger. Since Rabbi Klein is now of blessed memory, I wrote to one of the research students that helped him with his book _A Guide to Jewish Religious Values_. This student is now a respected authority and rabbi -- Wayne Allen. He told me that Rabbi Klein was quoting from the Shulchan Aruch but Rabbi Allen believes that if Rabbi Klein was alive today he would have agreed that alcoholics cannot drink and so should substitute grape juice.

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Christmas
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Often an AA member will speak in despair about Christmas and the pressure to be with family [abusive or not], be jolly and drink to the holidays. It is a difficult emotional time for many alcoholics. I then share that there is a large group of people for whom there is no emotional problem with Christmas. We are called Jews. Thus when I see a commercial that tells me that I should be home for Christmas, I say, "I am a Jew you stupid TV!"

I then speak of the many Christmas songs that are fun and others that are inspiring. I join in on a rousing song of "Jingle Bells" but when they break into "Oh Holy Night", I remain silent. "Oh Holy Night" is specifically religious and thus I do not join in when such songs are sung. I also congratulate Christians on their holiday but I tell them I don't celebrate it. This gives clues to Jews on how to handle the holiday stuff and it also helps the Christians to objectify their situation.

You might also suggest singing "Henei Mah Tov". Well... maybe not. :-)

Alex