Thanks to Julia Segal for these reflections. Julia serves on the planning committee for the Hazon Food Conference and is a student at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

It’s a natural season for abundance and gratitude, autumn bringing harvest holidays and rituals in virtually every culture.  In America this is Thanksgiving, the most nourishing foods are stacking up on tables and families are preparing to eat together to enjoy the bounty.  In our mythology, pilgrims, after their first lessons in local agriculture from local native populations, made feasts and enjoyed.  We are still enjoying our food, and though today it comes to us mostly through a food system that paradoxically combines convenience and complication, we are still giving thanks.

I have to make a confession: I’m Canadian.  We celebrate Thanksgiving nice and early, in October and it is a rather neutral holiday up here.  Since joining the executive committee for this year’s Hazon Food Conference, I must have become somewhat of an honorary American because I’ve been wondering about how this holiday really embodies gratitude.  My alien inquiries have led me to discover a disconnect.  Most people love Thanksgiving, food-loving Jews especially.  Being appreciative of everything and everyone involved in food production and mindful during every encounter with food is what the Hazon Food Conference is all about. But it seems there’s an element that’s essential to thanks, but not Thanksgiving history.  It has to do with noticing privilege and striving for equality and respect.  If one thing could be pinpointed that would bring a whole lot more thanks to thanksgiving – and a grateful attitude year-round – it’s this.  Food justice is a necessary part of a thankful community, because fair food relationships ensure that one’s gladness doesn’t detract from another’s health.

Food justice is hopeful in Thanksgiving present and is a strong theme of the 2009 Hazon Food Conference coming up December 24-27 in Pacific Grove, California.  Programming, touching on both North America and Israel, will explore hunger, poverty and fostering independence through agriculture; power and privilege in the world of food; exposing greenwashing; lobbying and activism; kashrut, labour justice and the heksher tzedek; and fair trade.  I hope that you might join us.  As a special gift at this time of Thanksgiving, please use the discount code “givethanks” before 11/30 when you register for a $75 discount (don’t forget that the prices rise for the conference in December anyway, so this is one of the better deals you’ll get at this time of year).