Dear all,
Growing up, I often felt awkward when someone wished me “Merry Christmas.”
Do I gently explain that I don’t celebrate?
Do I reply with “Happy Holidays”?
Do I simply say “Merry Christmas” back and move on?
For years, there was no answer that felt quite right.
Ironically, it wasn’t until I spent a year living in Israel that I truly understood what people mean when they say “Merry Christmas.”
Not because I visited Bethlehem.
Not because of an interfaith gathering or a shared holiday meal.
But because every Friday afternoon, something remarkable happened.
As Shabbat approached, strangers on the street—Jews, Muslims, Christians, people of every background—greeted one another with the same words: Shabbat Shalom. For that moment in time each week, the entire country seemed to pause. Time softened. We were swept up in a collective awareness that something sacred was arriving.
No one was asking what I believed.
No one was testing my observance.
They were simply sharing joy.
That’s when I understood: this is what “Merry Christmas” is meant to be. Not a statement of theology, but an offering of goodwill. A small human gesture that says, “May this moment be meaningful for you.”
Do I still sometimes pause when the greeting comes my way? Yes.
But now, I hear it differently.
I hear joy reaching outward.
And I honor the intention behind it.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
