Singing Christian songs

[Dilbertian]

What do you do about Christian songs or worship?

I work in a Christian environment. I am openly Jewish. Christian hymns and songs are regularly and communally sung here, sometimes as worship, sometimes as just singing.

My attitude has long been that I will sing when it's 'just' singing (I have sung a choral mass as a performance, for example) especially when it's a song that is not in any way contrary to Judaism, but I do not sing Christian worship songs when it is an act of prayer.

I'm happy to sing worship songs that are not in any way contrary to Judaism during a Christian prayer (23rd Psalm, for example, or He's Got The Whole World in His Hands).

Is this hypocritical? Does it matter?

I think I'm the same as you. I used to be in the school choir and would sing all the Christmas and Easter songs etc and my parents had no problem with it as it wasn't as part of a religious service. I wasn't singing the songs with meaning, if you know what I mean. They were just words.

One of my siblings is religious and he'd never let his kids sing any kind of Christian songs or even any Christmas carol 😬 They would definitely not be ok with what you describe! But then they also wouldn't put themselves or their kids in the situation where that "problem" might arise, I suppose. They live in Israel for a reason :)

Oh and I love he's got the whole world in his hands 🙈

I went to a number of church associated primary school, because they were the most convenient to get to. I quite liked the singing and I love church architecture. In general really I find places of worship very calming. The words didn't really matter.

It has come in surprisingly handy though in later life. I found myself helping someone with dementia recite the Lords Prayer the other day which was very meaningful for them, and meaningful for me to be able to help.

Also, one of my favourite stories my Grandma told was when she was evacuated in the war and went to live with a Christian family (who were very kind and she kept in touch with even until her later years). The mother played the organ in the local church and Grandma would go with her and help her clean the pipes. She looked at me totally straight faced and said "it's not every good Jewish girl can say they've blown an organ"

My husband is not Jewish. He comes from an active Christian family although doesn't believe himself. My dd was head chorister at her secondary school. We had to go to many Chapel recitals. When we had to stand for prayers or singing I didn't although out of respect of course I'd stand. I always feel really awkward and try not to draw attention to the fact that I'm just stood there whilst my dh blasts out the hyms. He doesn't believe however he sings in two choirs as he loves it. I try not to giggle, more from nerves. My mother thought it odd that her granddaughter (who identifies as jewish) sang in the Chapel choir however there were plenty of Sikhs and Hindus who also sang in it. Tbh I do love a church. Dh and I are fans of sacred music so often go to them. I find them peaceful.

i actually like hymns a lot. i often sing them just randomly and change the words mentioning christ etc to something else or if in a public setting just keep quiet for those words (not that i sing publically much as i am a terrible singer). I actually sung them a lot to my daughter as a baby cos they were nice and soothing tunes.

I don't think there's much behind them.

I don't think there's much behind them.

They're meaningful to people praying. I have no desire to offend Christians at prayer. Jewish prayers are meaningful to me when I pray, and I have no desire to offer any prayer in Jesus's name.

I also like a lot of hymns and find them quite soothing.

I let the kids do the Xmas and Easter songs at school and dutifully turn up to whatever show they've been forced to put on.

Personally, I don't sing most things. My general rule is that if it is about jesus or mentions him, I'm out.

I also like Xmas carols, but tend to stick with "We wish you a merry Christmas" and "When santa got stuck up the chimney".

Visiting atheist here, I was looking to see if anyone was writing about Yiddish, as I'm trying to find out something about the writer Mendel Mann's life story - any Mendel Mann experts on here?

But your post caught my eye, Bunnyasmyname, because I remember reading that several of the iconic Christmas songs [not carols, secular songs] were written by Jewish people. The best-known is 'White Christmas' by Irving Berlin, but also 'Chestnuts roasting by an open fire', 'Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer', 'Rocking around the Christmas Tree' etc .

That might broaden your repertoire
Zayt gesunt!

Sorry that should be 'zayt gezunt' not 'gesunt', but it's only transliterated Yiddish anyway, that's all I can manage so far..