Sir – Christopher Gray states that having a member of the Jewish faith on the BBC’s Pause for Thought is an odd choice of Christmas speaker.
His view is narrow if he considers the season as a purely Christian season because centuries before Christianity came into being, our Jewish friends, including Jesus, were celebrating Hanukkah around that time of year. In pre-Christian Britain there were (and still are) many midwinter festivals of light. Around the time that the Christian season of Advent begins, the Hindus celebrate Diwali, their festival of light. The BBC is wise to remind us of the many great festivals and faiths, so I am thankful that they have a broader view than that of Christopher Gray.
As he loves food, perhaps next December he can visit different faiths and enjoy Jewish latkes, a Hindu or Muslim curry, some British dishes dating from pre-Christian times and then his own Christmas pudding.
I write as a Unitarian, a respecter of many faiths and as a non-Jew. Despite his denial, Christopher’s views seem rather anti-Semitic to this reader.
Rev Peter Hewis, Chairman, Oxford Council of Christians and Jews
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