Even as a Jew, I find this appalling

Luxury retailer Nieman Marcus has quietly cancelled “Christmas” from its annual holiday catalog. This is the first time this has happened in its 117-year history and never would have happened under its three founders, all of whom were Jewish. Not coincidentally, the last founding member, Richard Marcus, died in February 2023.

 The beginning of Neiman-Marcus is the story of three Jewish merchandising pioneers of women’s high fashion in the Wild West (Below)– Herbert Marcus, Abraham Lincoln “Al” Neiman, and Carrie Marcus Neiman. Their combined last names became the store’s namesake.

In the early 20^th century, most women’s clothing was made to order — a slow, step-by-step processes. This was true even in fashionable department stores. Fabric, lace, and ribbons were chosen separately and put together by dressmakers or seamstresses. Neiman-Marcus introduced the new concept of ready-made, high-end fashion, which could be adjusted by alterations. All of this took place in an atmosphere of elegance not yet seen west of the Mississippi.

But in 2024, Neiman Marcus has quietly removed the word “Christmas” from its iconic, 98-year-old annual gift catalog – and many company insiders are outraged that the stealthy switch smacks of “woke politics,” The Post has learned.

For the first time ever, it called the glossy catalog — long known for its extravagant gifts, from last year’s $975,000 electric Cadillac to his-and-her Egyptian mummy cases in 1971 — the “Holiday Book” instead of the “Christmas Book.”

The name change has raised hackles inside the luxury chain’s Dallas headquarters, where veteran employees have chafed under CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck, whose restructurings and layoffs they fear are wiping out the last vestiges of the 117-year-old retailer’s institutional history.

Employees complain that Geoffroy and his team should have spent more time running the business than they do expressing viewpoints about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).

The Dallas Morning News asked about the name and a spokesperson said it was changed “in the spirit of inclusivity as it welcomes customers of all backgrounds, religions and traditions to celebrate the season,” according to the report.

This was more than Neiman had told its own rank and file, according to sources. “We found out via the Dallas Morning News article,” a Neiman employee fumed. “The book didn’t need a name change. Personal opinions about inclusion — from Geoffroy and his leadership team — changed this.”

As for the catalog, it doesn’t even bear the new “Holiday Book” title on its cover — instead merely displaying this year’s seasonal marketing slogan, “A Neiman’s Fantasy”.

With only the faintest hints of traditional Christmas imagery — not even snowflakes or evergreen trees — the cover depicts a model with a big, clunky keyhole earring looking through another keyhole against a starry night backdrop.

This is Neiman’s last holiday season before it closes a deal to be acquired for $2.65 billion by rival Saks Fifth Avenue’s owner HBC. While employees are fearful about keeping their jobs, they also reckon it’s the last year some of the current management team will remain with the company — including the CEO.