The truth was, when word got out that he would be Santa this year, a group of people from a local synagogue, Temple Adas Israel, sent a flurry of emails to the event organizers objecting to his selection.
Mr. Dorph, they said, had made people uncomfortable during a Nov. 30 talk at the synagogue about the Israel-Hamas crisis, sharply criticizing a pair of speakers from the American Jewish Committee, a nonprofit advocacy group that supports Jewish people and Israel, from his seat in the audience.
“He was very antagonistic, belittling them,” said Rona Klopman, 85, a member of the temple who attended the event virtually but was not involved in the email campaign. “I could see why people would not be comfortable with him as Santa, who is supposed to be this jolly fellow trying to keep peace in the world.”...
December 15, 2023
"In ‘Miracle on 34th Street,’ Santa was canceled because he was drunk... I was canceled because I said something in a completely independent setting."
Said Ken Dorph, quoted in "He Was Set to Play Santa. His Views on the Middle East Got in the Way. Ken Dorph had grown out his white beard, but a tense discussion of the Israel-Hamas war at a local synagogue led to complaints that cost him the gig" (NYT).
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I cant get behind the paywall to get the details that would flesh out the weirdly vague headline. But no one should be cancelled for their political views. Being a good santa has nothing to do with your views on "Speakers from the American jewish congress". I guess they want a Stalinist Santa who follows the party line.
Wouldn't be less costly in in blood and treasure to convert Muslims to Christianity and have Jews play Santa at Malls in Gaza?
How come I always have to come up with the bright ideas?
You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
Hmmmm. A Jewish Santa?
Tell me more.
Miracle on 34th street is one of those movies that's become famous almost entirely due to Edmund Gwenn's great performance as Santa. Like most movies of the 1940s, it moves along and is less than 100 minutes.
Cancel culture is equitable and inclusive.
All Jews get for Christmas is dreidels anyway.
We are allowed to fight back against Hamas-loving a-holes.
mmkay.
In 'Miracle on 34th Street' the fake Santa from Macy's was fired for being drunk - not cancelled. And then the real Santa stepped up, and was unsuccessfully 'cancelled'. Or am I recalling a different movie?
"In ‘Miracle on 34th Street,’ Santa was canceled because he was drunk... I was canceled because I said something in a completely independent setting." Said Ken Dorph...
We have actual video from the Santa de-selection process.
There's a joke that goes "when you ask yourself 'What would Jesus do?", always remember, going nuts and turning over tables is an option."
I would modify it in this context and say that "if you're asking 'What would Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) do', always remember punching a heretic is a solid option."
Why is a synagogue taking a position on who should play Santa Claus?
sounds like he was cancelled simply for being an asshole.
34th Street Santa can sober up the next day, but tomorrow Synagogue Santa will still be a malicious, despicable terrorist-lover.
Dorf is 70. Nixon would have said that's too old to be playing Santa.
He had his free speech. Say hello to The Consequences, mook.
But why are these Jewish folks concerned about Santa? Should they return to their own lane?
Hilarious!! Santa Claus was going to be portrayed by a Jew.
That's fine with me!!
Then they came for the Santas, and I did not speak out---because I was not a Santa.
Dear Rona, Santa is a jolly fellow, but Ken Dorph is an actor.
I'm glad you're posting a number of cases of cancel culture in various circumstances. I believe we should think long and hard about the consequences. Personally, I oppose cancelling people (losing their jobs, being banned from blogs or social media, etc.) for what they say, even if it's offensive. That includes the case of the 3 college presidents, and also on this blog.
The genius of America as it was founded and pretty much as it has existed up until the last decade or so is that it accepted a wide range of thought and expression. People in general had a "live and let live" mentality about living among and getting along with people who disagreed with them. This has changed radically with cancel culture. And it's getting worse.
I want the old America back. MAFA. Make America Free Again. Does that make me conservative? Fine. It wasn't just a beautiful dream, it was a beautiful life.
RFK JR. can't coherently defend Israel anymore. He starts to become unhinged in this exchange. I expect he'll be trying to cancel someone soon. After declaring his love for the First Amendment, of course.
@Wince
LOL
A Jewish Santa to celebrate Jewish Jesus and his Christian philosophy.
Personally, I oppose cancelling people (losing their jobs, being banned from blogs or social media, etc.) for what they say, even if it's offensive. That includes the case of the 3 college presidents, and also on this blog.
One problem with this, at least with respect to the University presidents, is that they were not exercising their personal freedom of speech - they were speaking on behalf of their respective Universities, espousing the University position on harassment of Jews/codes of conduct and even-handedness of the application of same. They were also speaking on their actions as president with respect to these issues. Effectively, they were discussing their job performance, and should reasonably be held to account for that performance.
Remember, the First Amendment states "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech." Freedom of speech means you cannot be silenced. It is very different from "Free Speech," which suggests that speech should come with no consequences whatsoever and is not protected by the First Amendment.
As a post script, for me the issue of the 3 college presidents isn't what they said, it should be what standards they applied to ALL parties and the consistency (or lack thereof) of the actions they took.
Readering: "Dorf is 70. Nixon would have said that's too old to be playing Santa."
Yeah, well, Nixon wore black dress shoes and black socks with shorts while putzing about San Clemente beach so...
On the other hand, he was one helluva poker player from his Navy days.
Let hm be Santa.... unless... until...
Santa: What do you want for Christmas, Timmy?
Timmy: The new Nintendo game and a baseball.
Santa: I hear you Timmy. But you SHOULD be asking for the Palestinians to be free from the river to the sea.
Timmy: But I want the game most of all.
Santa: You are Islamophobic and will get nothing, NOTHING!
Store manager: HR would like a word, Santa.
Santa Claus played by a Jew? Ha! Everyone knows Santa’s a Presbyterian.
I learned long ago that artists should be judged by their art, not their personalities or behaviors. Sterne's 18th Century novel, A Sentimental Journey, has a chapter on the disappointment of meeting the author of a famous hymn, only to discover he was a lout.
That said, pro-Hamas folk should not be allowed anywhere near kids, based solely on the group's history of murdering, raping, & kidnapping children, and otherwise not fulfilling Santa's desired role. Krampus, maybe.
Fake Santa wasn't fired for being drunk. He was fired because his behavior was a bad example to the children. Parents expect Santa to not be an asshole.
I read the article. In addition to being Jewish, he's also gay and the father of two adopted black children. He's not pro-Hamas, but I got the impression that he's militantly anti-Netanyahu and outspoken about it. The Jewish left feels about Netanyahu the way our left feels about Trump....In the picture posted, he does look like Santa Claus. Apparently his Santa appearance doesn't involve counselling young children about the Israel/Hamas war. He simply sits atop a fire truck and waves....My view is that he shouldn't have been cancelled. I also think that the NYT posted this article to make the pro-Netanyahu crowd look like bigots.....In the article it says that he's an admirer of Arab culture. Netanyahu's support is not among westernized Jews like Mr. Dorph but among Jews from Arabic countries. Maybe Jews from Arabic countries have a different understanding of Arab culture than Mr. Dorph.
People will tolerate a drunk Santa as long as he's a Jolly Old Elf. Unless your name is Billy Bob Thornton, you can't get away with breaking character.
“I never said a curse word or stood up or threatened anyone, but it was hot under the collar, and I regret that,” Mr. Dorph said.
Ann does not make clear whether Santa or the Jewish group drawing his ire was the one saying an immediate cease-fire was necessary and Israel was the bad guy. I need to know this to decide which party is the asshole.
Macy’s in Atlanta didn’t announce it, but they have canceled the annual Christmas tree Lighting that started out as the Rich’s tree and lasted about 70 odd years. It started downtown in five points and ended up at Lenox Mall in Buckhead which is currently being ruined by the usual savages, the same ones that just killed the Rich’s/Macy’s bring Atlanta together for brotherhood.
I rode the Pink Pig at Rich’s
As his father was killed by a palestinian thats deeply ironic
As I recall, Santa was cancelled for bopping an overreaching HR bureaucrat on the noggin for telling a fellow employee that his desire to be Santa at an orphanage was symptom of mental illness.
I wonder if they told him, "Santa is an elf, not a Dorph!"
'Hmmmm. A Jewish Santa?'
St. Nickelstein.
Lesser-known second cousin...
Doesn't anyone else here know the North Pole is a gulag?
My favorite deleted scene from Miracle is when little Natalie Wood asks Santa for a life vest.
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