With Christmas fast approaching, hotel owners in Jerusalem are up in arms over a new directive from the Jerusalem Rabbinate that prohibits them from displaying Christmas trees on their premises. In the directive, the rabbinate implies its will revoke the kosher certification of hotels that choose to decorate their premises with a Christmas tree. In a letter sent to hotels in the capital, the rabbinate wrote: "In the lead-up to the end of the calendar year, we would like to recapitulate that placing a Christmas tree in a hotel is forbidden by Halachah [Jewish law], and therefore one should clearly not be placed in a hotel. Likewise, it would best to avoid throwing parties to celebrate the end of the calendar year." Although dated Nov. 7, the letter reached the hotels via fax this week. In a response to the letter, Israel Hotels Association CEO Noaz Bar Nir noted that in 2014, the Chief Rabbinate changed its kashrut procedures regarding hotels to remove requirements that do not directly concern the kosher certification of food. "The law prohibiting kashrut fraud and the rabbinate's kashrut policy for hotels applies only to food service at the hotel and does not apply to other 'atmospheric' issues, such as the displaying of a Christmas tree and New Year's celebrations in hotels," he wrote. "In addition, just as you heard no opposition when the president of the United States decided to place a menorah in the White House, a decision meant to show respect for Judaism and bring people together, it is worth considering whether your instructions are disrespectful of our Christian guests and their sensitivities, and may, as a result, damage the hotel service given to those Christian guests in such a manner that could diminish future work for the hotels, which rely for the most part on Christian tourists." The Tourism Ministry issued a statement saying, "The decision to display Christmas trees in hotels that host Christian tourists, who come to Israel for Christmas and the New Year, is subject to each hotel, according to the customers who choose to stay there. Even in non-Christian countries, including the Persian Gulf states, it is customary to display Christmas trees in hotels that host Christian guests. We welcome the thousands of pilgrims who will arrive in Israel."
Rabbinate seeks to ban Christmas trees in Jerusalem hotels
Hotels Association slams Jerusalem Rabbinate directive telling hotels not to put up trees or throw end-of-year parties • Tourism Ministry: Decision should be left to hotels • "We welcome the thousands of pilgrims who will arrive in Israel," ministry says.
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