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Rabbi Pinchas Taylor - Torah Cafe

Video: Do Jews Celebrate Halloween?

Halloween seems like an innocent holiday not affiliated with any particular religion. Children (sometimes, adults too) dress up, give and get candy, and in general, just have fun. Is there any reason a Jew should not join in the revelry?

In this lecture, Rabbi Pinchas Taylor speaks about the origins of Halloween and how it evolved over the years.

Rabbi Taylor also explains our role as Jews; how our job is to illuminate the world, and not assimilate into it. Is it appropriate to celebrate a holiday that focuses on darkness and death and is the antithesis of the Jewish focus on light and life?

Rabbi Taylor concludes with practical advice about office holiday parties as well as guidance for teachers in the public school system.

Beyond Halloween, the lecture will provide a deeper appreciation of our special position – and responsibilities – as Jews in the world.

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8 Comments

  • Rivkah

    Hallows eve is a Christian holiday honoring saints etc
    It is a religious holiday , these days they have changed it ,they have no idea what they are celebrating

    • CR

      Interestingly, even the “frum” Xians I know eschew this celebration for the very reasons described in this vid. Even they hold you cannot Metaheir this Sheretz.

  • Yossi A

    Halloween started when the ghosts of hallow would put on masks and terrorize the yidden. They would throw fire bombs at yiddishe owned businesses. Today they throw eggs etc….
    If we would think of this we wont try to appease the goyim

  • Ignatz Grubnik

    The ignorance is mind boggling. Hallow Weenie was a major pagan holiday. It featured avoda zora, machasheifus, human sacrifice, cannibalism and sexual promiscuity. When the Notzrim took over the European savages they “kashered” this holiday so the pagans would agree to worship yoshka. Any Jew that would have anything to do with this abomination,or would expose his/her children to it should have his head examined. When the Rebbe went to menachem ovil the satmar rebbe,they spoke about nital and this tumah. Stay away FEH.

  • Lifelight

    Yasher koach for an extremely well-researched and well-presented expose! As a teacher in a public school I now have informed answers for the other Jewish teachers as to how and why we should NOT participate in this “holiday”.
    The overwhelming need for the goyim, who are desperately searching for spirituality, to celebrate Hallowe’en has turned this into big business. The Muslim children have NO problem not participating in this pagan/Christian nonsense. Only those Jews, who are also desperately searching for spirituality, have this problem.

  • Yossel

    A.S.S. (Alternate Side of the Street) Parking is suspended tomorrow. Much to the disappointment of the NYPD Traffic force, who are usually out in huge numbers in Jewish neighborhoods, especially on Fridays, dispensing goodwill in the form of those pretty orange tickets. to poor shlamiels doing their Erev Shabbos shopping…