IMU celebrates for all holidays

Every year during the holiday season, wreaths and Christmas-colored lights appear all around campus, most notably the candle-shaped light adorning the Indiana Memorial Union. \nBut while most decorations are associated with Christian symbolism, student religious group leaders said they were not personally offended by the University’s efforts. However, this year, the IMU has gone “out of its way” to begin including other religions in the winter holiday season, said Rabbi Sue Shifron, director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center.\nRather than solely giving out candy canes, traditionally associated with Christmas, the Union is distributing Hanukkah gelt, which are chocolate coins, and other food appropriate for Kwanzaa, Shifron said.\n“This is a difficult time of year for Jewish and non-Christian students, and it’s important for people to remember that not everyone celebrates the holiday,” she said. “People just need to be a little bit more aware and inclusive in their language and what they’re saying.”\nBruce Jacobs, IMU interim executive director, said the Union’s distribution of various religious candies is part of a campaign to teach tolerance and acceptance on campus.\n“This program is designed to help teach all the people who come to the Union every day about each other and the world around us and thus help unify the campus,” he said. \nHillel Center Student President Dena Kranzberg said although most decorations are targeted for Christmas, she does not find them to be religiously offensive.\n“I associate Christmas with being American before I would associate it with a religion,” she said. “It’s become so commercialized that I don’t feel like anyone will be judging me because I’m Jewish.”\nHowever, the commercialism does not make the holiday less beautiful, Kranzberg said.\n“I love the lights on the (Courthouse) Square, fraternities and sororities,” she said, “and I don’t feel like adding Jewish stars would be very fair to the other religions.”\nMuslim Student Union President Myeda Hussain, who said she is not personally offended by the decorations, agreed with Kranzberg. However, she said the University should recognize that there are other faiths on campus that celebrate holidays, too.\n“Since the decorations are linked to Christmas, IU needs to make more of an effort to celebrate other faiths,” she said.