My last blogs have talked about racist incidents a few adoptees have recently faced and resources for responding. The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate, by Janice Cohn, is based on the true story of events that happened in Billings, Montana in 1993.
In 1993, a group in Billings sent out leaflets saying hateful things about several ethnic groups and Jewish people in particular. They spray-painted threats on a Native American home, threatened an African-American church, and damaged a synagogue.
As Hanukkah began, rocks were thrown through several windows of homes displaying menorahs. One of these large rocks shattered the window and landed on the bed of Isaac Schnitzer, who was home with a babysitter. Isaac was unhurt but shaken. The family refused to take down their menorahs and decided to speak to the media about what was going on.
The police chief and a local church leader called a meeting. Chief Inman urged the people to speak out as a community and the church leader shared a story she had heard from her youth. The tale tells that when the Nazis conquered Denmark and the Jewish people were ordered to wear yellow stars, King Christian rode out of his palace the next morning on horseback wearing a yellow star on his royal uniform. Soon many Danes began to wear the star as well as a sign of unified resistance to the Nazis by Danes of all faiths.
Several religious leaders of different denominations urged their people to put up menorahs in their windows, just as Danes of other faiths were said to have joined fellow citizens in wearing the yellow star. The newspaper printed a full-size picture of a menorah and ran an editorial urging people to put it in their windows. Many did. Some of these people who put up menorahs to support their Jewish fellow citizens did have their homes vandalized as well. The Catholic high school also had a window destroyed. In that window had been a sign saying simply, “Let’s all try to get along.”
Nonetheless, as more and more people began to display the menorahs, the violent incidents dropped sharply.
The story also contains a brief account of the story of Hanukkah, told by Isaac to his classmates.
The story, retold by Dr. Cohn, a social worker, tells of Isaac’s conversations with his parents—his shock on learning that the rock was thrown by someone who didn’t even know them because of his religion, his questions to them about why people hate, his initial desire to not put his menorah back in his bedroom window, and his complaining to his parents that he never wanted to be a “pioneer”, he wanted to be just like everyone else.
Dr. Cohn admits that she slightly changed certain details or their sequence, but says her book is strongly based on fact and true to the spirit of the story. The book mentions by name several people of the actual people who were involved—the Schnitzers, Isaac’s friend Teresa, Police Chief Wayne Inman, lay church leader Margaret MacDonald, and Reverend Keith Torney.
Dr. Cohn’s research also shows that the legend of King Christian that inspired Ms. MacDonald and the community’s decision was not a literal fact—the Jews in Denmark were never ordered to wear the star because the Nazis knew the king and population would resist. King Christian was known to have supported the Jewish community and many Danes took great risks in hiding their Jewish fellow citizens and helping them escape to Sweden.
The story of so many citizens of Billings acting together in recent years is inspiring and Dr. Cohn’s stories of Isaac’s talks with his parents will give parents ideas to respond to their own children’s questions about hatred and racism.
This book has become one of my absolute favorite holiday stories.
Please see these related blogs:
Book Review: Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice
Weaving God’s Love Across Cultures: Transracial Adoption and Faith (Book Review)