Confessions of a Jewish Santa

Jewish Santa really wanted to adjust his wig. The stomach padding, shoulder pads, and heavy jacket were tolerable. The baggy red overalls underneath, downright comfortable. But the wig itched. A lot. It barely covered his brown Jew fro, and he couldn’t risk scratching and revealing his hair. Well, he could, but he wouldn’t. Jewish Santa wanted people to believe. He wanted everyone to have some of Santa’s magic.  

Jewish Santa was raised lighting candles for eight days at this time of year, and he had little firsthand experience with the opposing team’s mascot. His only time on Santa’s lap was at age 23 in a Memphis mall; he asked Santa what to look for in a wife, and Santa recommended a churchgoing woman. But now he was putting on the outfit for more than 20 hours a week in a well-known downtown department store on the West Coast, earning $22 an hour. (Santas received $24 an