Is he really going to justify Jews celebrating the death of Jesus?
I know that’s what you’re thinking. Let’s see what this kid is going to do to justify dyeing eggs and making Easter baskets. And we’ll hope the chocolate is at least kosher.
No, I’m not going to tell you to celebrate Easter. But I am going to tell you that many Jewish families have, and will.
My first experience with this was six years ago from a girl I was trying to get with. Her family was from Poland and she talked lovingly about her Jewish background. She also told me that every year she colored Easter eggs.
How, I asked, could she do that and remain authentically Jewish?
She told me that her mother didn’t think anything of it: what is so religious about dyeing eggs?
Recently, another friend of mine and I talked about Easter eggs. “What’s dyeing an egg? We can do that anytime we want!” And I agree. Why can’t I dye an egg?
If you look at Easter, as we celebrate it culturally, it really isn’t very Jesus-y. It’s more about spring time, renewal, and of course, copious amounts of chocolate.
I think there is something in the collective unconscious that makes a lot of holidays fuse together. Passover seder plates have eggs: so does Easter. Purim involves giving away baskets of gifts. Again, that’s Easter. And who can forget the chocolate gelt from Hanukkah.
What I would recommend is that we look at the fun parts of Easter and find ways to make them Jewish. Why can’t the egg on the seder plate be a chocolate egg? How about we hide the broken piece of matzah (afikomen) in one of those plastic eggs they sell at the grocery store?
This isn’t idolatry or mixing faith traditions. It’s doing what Jews have always done: taking the best of what’s around us, and translating it to our own tradition.