6000 years of persecution. Madison Avenue edition.

The history of the Jewish people is not a carefree, blithe and happy story. Our people have been gassed en masse. Our temples have been destroyed. We have been enslaved. And of course we have been expelled from our homeland and subject to pogroms virtually every time a Cossack was feeling like he had nothing to do on a particular morning.

About half a century ago, Woody Allen used to tell a joke about how he was the token Jew in a Gentile ad agency, but got fired for taking off too many Jewish holidays.

Still, all in all, Jews like myself and legions of others, have been welcomed in the advertising industry.

There's no 3% Conference for Jews in the business like there is for women. I don't have any stats, but I'd say we are fairly well-represented--even at the highest, obscenely-compensated holding company level.

That's perhaps why I was struck this morning as I walked into the lobby of my office building.

This is the first decoration you see. A gorgeous 20-foot-high Christmas tree made from cuddly plush teddy bears.

Next to it, there's this two-foot-high acknowledgement of the impending Jewish holiday.

Which is marked by a short, rotund, beady-eyed, long-nosed, bald and yarmulke-wearing creature.

Must be part of the Jewish media's "War on Christmas."