| Author |
Message |
    
hismom
Citizen
Username: Hismom
Post Number: 214
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 12:36 pm: |     |
Is Maplewood holding an Easter Egg hunt this year? I always seem to find out about it afterwards. I didn't see anything listed on the calendar. |
Kathy Leventhal
Citizen
Username: Kml
Post Number: 38
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 1:19 pm: | |
I will verify this information and repost:
The Easter Egg Hunt will be at DeHart Park on Saturday, 3/14 at 1pm.
Kathy Leventhal
Maplewood Township Committee |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 799
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 7:53 pm: | |
I really hate to ask for fear of raising another anti-religious firestorm.
But if I don't,we know who will.
Is the Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Township?
Is Kathy's post as a member of the Township committee a government endorsement of religion?
Should the Easter Egg Hunt be renamed to something like the great spring nature growing season egg search?
In case you think I am kidding, the anti-religious bigots who brought us the no religious music national attention and a potential suit,won't hesitate to do the same on this event.
Altho, they may not want lightening to strike twice in the same lit'l ol' town.
Say it isn't true, Kathy, I hope the township attorney approved your township post of this religiously termed event. |
Barbara
Citizen
Username: Blh
Post Number: 445
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 8:31 pm: | |
Reflective
I think the difference would be that people can choose not to go to an event that is held on a Saturday afternoon - but a school musical performance held for the student body doesn't offer that option.
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Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 800
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 8:46 pm: | |
barbara
your post doesn't address the so-called separation issue.
But thanks for starting the dialogue |
mwsilva
Citizen
Username: Mwsilva
Post Number: 438
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 11:04 pm: | |
Barbara,
I can not choose to stop my tax money from paying for this event can I? Some how the Township is paying for the event, if only the use of the Township parks, building and staff.
I think Reflective has a point to consider here. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 3579
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 11:42 pm: | |
Does anyone really believe the Easter Egg/Bunny is really religious, or is it just another commercial fairy tail like Santa Claus and the tooth fairy?
Come on, give us a break... |
Taylor M
Citizen
Username: Anotherusername
Post Number: 362
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 2:00 am: | |
Give me a break. Some people have nothing better to do then ruin things for other people. |
hismom
Citizen
Username: Hismom
Post Number: 215
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 8:05 am: | |
I was afraid of this kind of discourse when I posted the question. Its so sad to me that we've be come such a hyper sensitive "CYA" town.
I'm guessing it will be Saturday the 12th? |
Barbara
Citizen
Username: Blh
Post Number: 446
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 8:40 am: | |
MW - if you're going to go that route, then the boundaries of MSO shouldn't hold you in. For goodness sake,we have a national Christmas tree. Your tax dollars go to set up the lights, keep it lit, provide security for our nation's president and his family when they go out to light it, pay for the musical performance related to it, and on and on. So, if you're going to do the "my tax dollars..." then do it all the way.
Reflective, have you addressed that issue of separation?
|
maple
Citizen
Username: Maple
Post Number: 17
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 9:28 am: | |
Barbara- great response ! My children love learning about other cultural and religious traditions. It doesn't intimidate them or weaken their own beliefs. Our towns embrace diversity and yet there are those who still try to make it a boring place to live where everyone is exactly the same and we cannot tolerate anyone's differences. What a shame for our children. Everyone bring your children out for the egghunt. It's a wonderful day and no one will be preaching religion or chanting. It's just a day for kids to find chocolate eggs and be kids ! |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 420
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 4:57 pm: | |
Reflective,
I won't complain about modest amounts of tax dollars going for an egg hunt (although for absolutists you may have a point). Barbara makes the point that matters to me...it is outside of school, and isn't an event for non-Christian children unless their parents choose to take them.
But Art, get real, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Christmas trees are not religious, but they are sure as heck Christian (whatever their original pagan roots). Their use by the forces of commercialization doesn't de-christianize them.
Maple, I'm a huge fan of diversity, and look for good spots to expose my kids to it. However, as Jews, we focus our spring enegies on Purim and Passover, not Easter, and will be passing on egg hunts (unless run by close friends or family!). When the town decides to run a Purim party with your tax dollars, count us in! I'm not holding my breath on that one ;-) |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 3580
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 11:18 pm: | |
When children are old enough to know the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus have religious roots, the special magic of these holidays will be gone from them...
Susan, what is there to fear from those Christian pagan roots, as you call them? I can’t help but wonder how children sheltered from these world wide events will feel when they are old enough to know the truth about Christmas and Easter?
Will they thank their parents for protecting them from eating all that Easter candy, or from playing with their friends while they searched for eggs in the park?
IMHO, I think when kids are old enough to know the truth about the commercialization of these holiday’s, they’ll also be mature enough to understand the differences in their religion from their friends and others. Happy Holidays everyone ....
|
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 424
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 11:54 pm: | |
Art, the problem is that the commercialized candy and lights "magic" of the non-religious elements of Christian holidays are compelling enough to make actual religious holidays (Jewish or Christian) look a bit drab by comparison in the mind of a small child.
Passover observance holds its own in a child's mind vs. Easter observance, but not vs. the candy-fest that is the Easter Bunny. My daughter gets plenty of other excuses to eat candy and play in the park and with her friends (actually, we've still got Halloween candy in the cabinet...). We work hard to find the "special magic" in our own holidays, as well as celebrating their own holidays with our friends. We visit Dicken's Village to look at the little houses, but we don't sit on Santa's lap or go to town Easter Egg hunts.
If a child gets used to playing Santa and Easter games while too young to understand, and decides that they are more "fun" than real religious holidays, we run the risk of undermining the observence of real religious holiday traditions, whether Jewish or Christian, IMHO. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 3581
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 2:01 am: | |
I'm not sure about much risk there is of our young children not understanding the importance of real religious holiday traditions, but I certainly respect your opinion... |
Morrisa da Silva
Citizen
Username: Mod
Post Number: 160
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 9:04 am: | |
On a much less controversial note: March 14 is not a Saturday. Kathy, did you mean Sat. March 12 or Sat Mar 19?
Please advise. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5722
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 10:58 am: | |
Jewish kids don't hunt for eggs. They hunt for the affikoman, which is a piece of matzoh. I suppose some people consider this to be vastly different.
I think the risk in not teaching significance lies with the parents and the religious organizations. |
Kathy Leventhal
Citizen
Username: Kml
Post Number: 39
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 11:34 am: | |
I've verified the following with the Maplewood Recreation Department:
The Spring Egg Hunt (correct name) is scheduled at DeHart Park for Sat., 3/19 at 1pm. The raindate is Sun., 3/20 at 1pm.
Kathy Leventhal
Maplewood Township Committee |
Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 1858
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 11:41 am: | |
It's all down to marketing. If someone can convince a matzoh company to make paint friendly matzoh, we got a horse in this race . |
mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 331
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 11:42 am: | |
Paint friendly and water resistant. |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 3031
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 4:36 pm: | |
"If a child gets used to playing Santa and Easter games while too young to understand, and decides that they are more "fun" than real religious holidays, we run the risk of undermining the observence of real religious holiday traditions, whether Jewish or Christian, IMHO."
How is having childhood holidays be fun undermining anything? |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5099
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 4:40 pm: | |
... and chocolate  |
Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 1860
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 5:12 pm: | |
Actually they got chocolate covered matzoh down. Whats needed is some kinda cute animal made of chocolate matzoh like the Easter Bunny. Maybe I should quit my day job and start a marketing campaign for the NEW chocolate matzoh covered Passover Koala Bear, then again maybe not. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5102
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 5:16 pm: | |
Wouldn't a pascal lamb be a more appropriate shape? |
Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 1862
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 7:00 pm: | |
I tried to avoid a lamb cause some weird kid may try to sacrifice it, putting a damper on other childrens fun. This drifts getting pretty bizzare. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 5105
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 7:11 pm: | |
Following that line of thinking, ginger matzoh boys would be even less appropriate. Imagine what some weird kid might do with the first baked of each batch. |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 804
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 8:28 pm: | |
Thanks Kathy
The Spring Egg Hunt puts my question to rest. Just like the Winter and then, the Holiday Concert at Town Hall did!- Remember that one?
Easter was the key word, people, and I have to say I saw a lot of quibbling and qualifying on the above posts. (I am not referring to the thread drift-TG for the thread drift)
Thanks Kathy.
A word can have a very powerful meaning - to some humanists. |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 1193
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 1:47 pm: | |
Maybe the folks at http://www.jewcy.com are ready to market your creations, ukealalio. A friend at work tells me there's quite the niche marketing going in the "hip young Jewish" space, of which jewcy is just one outlet. |
SO Refugee
Citizen
Username: So_refugee
Post Number: 67
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 7:58 pm: | |
Let us celebrate diversity without becoming homogenized.
My daughter is actively involved in her church, but when she fiddles around on the keyboard, her favorite tune is "The Dreidel Song." I'm so glad we live in a community that exposes our children to different types of culture and I wish everyone would appreciate it in the same way while realizing that the true shaping of their children's moral/religious/ethical life lies in the parents' own hands. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 1207
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 9:43 pm: | |
This thread has to be a friggin' joke. You must have something better to do than complain about this crap. This town is driving me crazy!! Ahhhhhhh!!!
Please, stop the madness!!! |
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