To: Audrey Meyers, President & CEO, The Valley Hospital, Maria Mediago, Vice President Facilities Management, The Valley Hospital, Megan Fraser, Vice President Communications & Marketing, The Valley Hospital, Board of Trustees, The Valley Ho...
End Unequal Religious Expression at the Valley Hospital (Ridgewood, NJ)
We at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church are a concerned and faithful community of Orthodox Christians who utilize the Valley Hospital’s medical services regularly. We respect the practice of healing and consider it a divine act coupled with the skill of the practicing medical professionals. We also believe that as an institution of healing, the Valley Hospital (Ridgewood, NJ) should not give preference to any one faith. The current policy of the Valley Hospital allows for the religious symbolism of Judaism but does not sanction Christian religious imagery such as a manger scene. We call for equal representation for all faiths at the Valley Hospital.
Why is this important?
The Valley Hospital’s policy to allow religious imagery for Hanukkah but to forbid the religious imagery for Christmas is inconsistent and insensitive. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are distinctly religious holidays replete with their own rich history of religious imagery. To reduce Hanukkah and Christmas to mere secular symbolic reminders is disrespectful to those who celebrate each.
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration of the preservation of Judaism during a time of forced religious assimilation. It is a celebration of the miracle of light in the midst of darkness. Christmas is the distinctly Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the celebration of God born as a child in the city of Bethlehem as written in Holy Scripture.
The Valley Hospital has determined that Christmas is accurately represented with a decorated tree, wreathes and poinsettias. These secular symbols do not remind us of the birth of a person, Jesus Christ. Depictions of this holy event, such as nativity scenes and other Christian imagery, are not authorized by the Valley Hospital. On the other hand, Hanukkah is accurately represented at the Valley Hospital with a purely religious motif, the Hanukiah or Hanukkah Menorah. Why is it that Christians cannot also observe their holiday according to Holy Scripture while at the Valley Hospital?
It is our wish that the Valley Hospital give equal representation to all of the faiths in our community. While we welcome Jewish religious symbolism at the hospital, the clear omission of Christian imagery is insensitive. The decorations for Christmas and Hanukkah in public spaces at the Valley Hospital should be faithful to the religions they represent. To emphasize one faith tradition by accurately representing it, while minimizing another by turning it into a secular cultural holiday is an injustice to all people of faith.
We ask that the Valley Hospital, its administration, its trustees and staff permit the display of Christian religious imagery depicting the Nativity of Christ, which Christians celebrate on Christmas.
Please sign this petition to end unequal religious expression at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration of the preservation of Judaism during a time of forced religious assimilation. It is a celebration of the miracle of light in the midst of darkness. Christmas is the distinctly Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the celebration of God born as a child in the city of Bethlehem as written in Holy Scripture.
The Valley Hospital has determined that Christmas is accurately represented with a decorated tree, wreathes and poinsettias. These secular symbols do not remind us of the birth of a person, Jesus Christ. Depictions of this holy event, such as nativity scenes and other Christian imagery, are not authorized by the Valley Hospital. On the other hand, Hanukkah is accurately represented at the Valley Hospital with a purely religious motif, the Hanukiah or Hanukkah Menorah. Why is it that Christians cannot also observe their holiday according to Holy Scripture while at the Valley Hospital?
It is our wish that the Valley Hospital give equal representation to all of the faiths in our community. While we welcome Jewish religious symbolism at the hospital, the clear omission of Christian imagery is insensitive. The decorations for Christmas and Hanukkah in public spaces at the Valley Hospital should be faithful to the religions they represent. To emphasize one faith tradition by accurately representing it, while minimizing another by turning it into a secular cultural holiday is an injustice to all people of faith.
We ask that the Valley Hospital, its administration, its trustees and staff permit the display of Christian religious imagery depicting the Nativity of Christ, which Christians celebrate on Christmas.
Please sign this petition to end unequal religious expression at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey.