Home for the Holidays
December 28, 2025Today was "Home for the Holidays" meaning there was no service today. So, there is no essay about the message, but I do get to write about whatever I want under the Bonuses...
Bonus
Oy to the World (movie)
This Bonus starts out by mentioning a fun little movie I watched this week. It's a Hallmark Christmas movie (no shocker there) that does have a different twist. It's about half Jewish, too. The plot rests on a few things. 1. Christmas Eve and the last day of Hanukkah happen to be on the same day (a rare event that does happen now and then). 2. the local synagogue has had some pipes burst and is currently not occupiable so the church across the street offers to share their building. And 3. two high school rivals that reunite these several years later over the synagogue crisis and have to put a very ecumenical kids choir together for the joint Christmas-Eve-Hanukkah service.
About the movie: Oy to the World.
A couple things you need to know. "Oy" is a Yiddish expression that shows dismay or chagrin. Its longer version is "oy vey" (oi-vay) and means basically the same thing. It's a bit like saying "Oh my" when something bad happens.
Another interesting thing to understand is that the synagogue's name in the movie is Temple Beth Am. This means roughly "House (Beth) of [all] the People (Am)" or "House of the Nations (Am)." It has an extended meaning of a people who have congregated together.
The bigger point is, I think, that Christianity and Judaism overlap much more than they differ. There's good reason for the term Judeo-Christian Values. The two religions share nearly all Biblical values. And speaking of the Bible, it's the only pair of religions in the world that actually share a sacred text, the Old Testament. Furthermore, much of Christianity's New Testament reflects or even quotes the Old Testament. For instance, many Christians are surprised when they learn that "Love your neighbor as yourself" is from the Old Testament, way back in Leviticus 19:18.
Here's Dennis Prager's shot at describing Judeo-Christian Values.
Bonus2
Handling 2026
At our last Family Dinner of 2026, we focused on what handles to hold onto into the coming year when we'll each be faced with who-knows-what. Whatever we're faced with, good, bad, or indifferent, you can count on your faith in God to get you through. So, at our Family Dinner, we reviewed the Judeo-Christian Values mentioned in the Bonus above and also reviewed the Ten Commandments. Staying grounded and well-versed with what's important is the key.
Talking about handling whatever comes at us was particularly relevant for our family this week as we say goodbye to the boys that have been with us for several years now. They're rejoining their older siblings in the next few days. We sent them on their way with copies of the four Dennis Prager "The Rational Bible" series books currently available (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
And for good measure, here is 25 Uplifting New Year's Christian Quotes to Welcome 2026.
Bonus3
The Last Two Christmas Movies for 2025
Here are the last two Christmas movies I'll talk about this year. No promises starting in January 2026...
"A Timeless Christmas" (IMDB entry), based on Alexis Stanton's book by the same title, is a fun story of a Christmas clock that sends 1903 Charles Whitley to his home in 2020. He goes from pondering what the future might bring to actually experiencing that future. Guess what, he had little idea! On the other hand, Megan is in the future where Charles lands where and when she's reenacting the past at the Whitley Mansion Museum. "Almost any journey can have a happy ending if you're with someone you love."
"Christmas at the Plaza" (Hallmark entry). Here's the synopsis: "With Christmas approaching in New York City, Jessica, an archival historian enmeshed in a declining romantic relationship, is hired to create an exhibition honoring the history of Christmas at The Plaza Hotel. There, she meets Nick, a handsome decorator who’s been commissioned to deck out the iconic landmark. When they’re paired together to prepare the exhibition, they wind up enjoying a host of holiday traditions together and find themselves falling for each other. Tensions soon rise as Jessica must figure out her romantic priorities and decide with whom she’ll ultimately spend Christmas at The Plaza."The Plaza is a hotel in New York City where "nothing unimportant ever happens." This movie explores themes like: am I doing something important?, houses are blank canvases for Christmas, roasted chestnuts, and where's the ornament from 1969?! It's not just the traditions; it's the people you do them with. And sometimes, grand gestures, white star and all, can make up for a load of mistakes.