Isn't she supposed to be one of the most respected journalists in America?

This morning I happened to be watching The View. I am not necessarily proud of this, but my work schedule is different for many of the days in December and I thought, hell, let's see what comes out of Rosie's big trap. They were talking about that recent story where a rabbi threatened a lawsuit if the Seattle-Tacoma airport did not add a menorah to its display of Christmas trees. The discussion among the stunning and brilliant View dames went the expected course: there should be Christmas trees! and menorahs! and "Kwanzaa bushes!" and "Ramadan candles!" And our View set should be decorated with all of those! (No joke.)

But then Barbara Walters chimed in with a very brief comment about Hanukkah that was very easily missed because someone else was talking over her. (Imagine.) I am paraphrasing here, but she said something to the effect of, "Hanukkah is a festival of light, when they commemorate the temple burning down."

Honestly, one of the most venerated journalists in the United States, and certainly one of the most celebrated women in the field, does not even know what Hanukkah is. Even if you put aside the influence Barbara Walters wields ("If Barbara Walters said it, it must be true."), the mere fact is, she should be smarter than that.

It is not like she mixed up Tu B'Shevat and Tzom Gedaliah. Barbara Walters should be learned enough to understand that Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple, when one jar of consecrated oil, that was only sufficient to burn for one day, burned for eight instead.

You could say this is splitting hairs, as Hanukkah does involve light and a temple. But, commonly, if someone asked me what Hanukkah was -- or if I was going to say one sentence about the holiday on my insipid daytime talk show -- I would not say, "That's when Jews celebrate the temple burning down." I would probably say something like, "That's the celebration of one day's worth of oil's lasting for eight days." Which is simplistic, to be sure, but at least it is cleaner, contextually.

Regardless of how you feel about the original SEA-TAC airport story itself -- whether you think the rabbi or the airport overreacted, whether you feel our society is hyper-litigious, whether or not you'd prefer your airport staff playing "cultural anthropologist" or, say, screening your baggage and trying to ensure on-time departure -- you have to admit that you expect more from Barbara. At least I do.