Comments on: Remind Me Why We’re Doing This?

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:49:02 +0000

I also find this to be a sad article. Thanksgiving is a great holiday and why does every holiday need to be Jewish to be special? I always say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because the holiday belongs to EVERYONE in America, no matter what their religion. You can freely say, “Happy Thanksgiving!” to the mail man, the store clerk, etc. and you can accept such greetings yourself. For me, I am a Jewish American…both parts of me are important, and I celebrate both of them. Anytime when you can be with friends and family, and have time set aside to enjoy doing so is important and the moment should be cherished.

By: beth

beth — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:25:53 +0000

Just got back from Thanksgiving weekend with my partner’s parents in Northern California.
We hiked the shoreline paths near their house.
We delivered meals to elderly folks who were housebound, a tradition my in-laws have embraced wholeheartedly since retiring to their little town.
Then we went home and all made dinner together, the four of us kibbitzing and joking and laughing as we bumped elbows in the cramped little kitchen.
When we sat down to eat the meal we’d prepared together, we skipped the “history” and instead we just told each other what we were thankful for.
For each of us, our blessings began and ended with family.
I can’t imagine a nicer way to observe Thanksgiving than by walking in gratitude with people I love.

By: Hannah Lee

Hannah Lee — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:24:49 +0000

Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday– I love it for its uplifting focus on giving thanks (compared to the other American holiday traditions of getting drunk, sending anonymous love greetings, and demanding sweets from strangers). I appreciate the lack of ritual, although many families have a set menu of favorite foods. As for my family’s tradition, years ago I started a Thanksgiving book to record our comments. It’s hard for some people to articulate any free-form words of thanks (but a regular habit makes it easier). This year, my daughter did not come home for this holiday, but she missed the Thanksgiving book, so her father suggested that she e-mail her contribution to us. BTW, I have friends who celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday night, to avoid eating two calorie-laden festive meals.

By: Bobbie

Bobbie — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:42:29 +0000

The last few years we’ve celebrated Thursday of Thanksgiving weekend with my husband’s (not Jewish) family, and the “second night,” Shabbat, with my family. Both are satisfying in their own way!

By: Home Shuling

Home Shuling — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:12:58 +0000

While the original European immigrants lacked something in they way of etiquette, shall we say, how can we, as American Jews, not see meaning in a holiday that honors the theme of moving to America in pursuit of religious freedom ? We read Molly’s Pilgrim and Rivka’s First Thanksgiving this week to bring home the point and read the “Freedom’s Feast” 10 minute ceremony before motzi.

Also, at the day school where I teach, we spent Wednesday morning making food for the local soup kitchen. I spoke with kids about how, from the time of the Beit Hamikdash, it’s been a Jewish obligation to share what you have as a way of giving thanks. Not being able to find a good Jewish kid’s book about this made me think this should be the topic for my next one…..

By: Uriel

Uriel — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:46:17 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed this post and I identify with your feelings on Thanksgiving, Leon. We have such rich, beautiful, meaningful traditions and celebrations in Judaism, even on a weekly basis, that it’s hard to identify with a random “thanks-giving” holiday, especially with such questionable origins, as Ariela noted.

Today, I found myself thinking essentially the same thought as your daughter: Thank G-d we have shabbat, and I feel a little bad for all the people who don’t have shabbat and only experience a little bit of what it’s like on days like Thanksgiving.

By: Morah Mary

Morah Mary — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:31:08 +0000

In our house, it IS a Jewish holiday – after all, we are Jews and we celebrate the holiday. We light candles, saying “shel yom tov,” recite “b’rei pr’i hagafen” and “hamotzi” over the rolls (covered with our hallah cover. We talk about family and friends, blessings in our lives, and ways to express our gratitude. Many of the psalms include gratitude, as well as an appreciation for the physical world around us.

I guess it depends on how one looks at it!

By: Ariela

Ariela — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:01:57 +0000

I work at a Jewish preschool, and the question of what we wanted to tranmitt about the story of Thanksgiving was controversial for us. I am impressed by how often Jews, as an exiled nation, forget about other exiled peoples. Thanksgiving is the beginning of the exile and genocide of millions of indigenous people and the undermining of their language, ritual, and lifeways.
For 3-4 year-olds, as well as for all of us, what is relevant about the story of thanksgiving is the story of what happens when some are willing to share, and others are not. This is a dynamic we work with at preschool every day and every government and every society lives this dynamic out through its policy and practice. Thanksgiving day, for many people in this country, is Thingstaken day. It is not a celebratory day, it is a tragic day with a powerful story.

Torah, as well as history, hands us difficult stories, not easy cream-colored stories, to grapple with, and to challenge our values. If we want to make THanksgiving “Jewish,” we can extend our sense of nationhood, tribe, and love of culture to recognize the injustice upon which this country was built and how we can learn from that in our life. How do we really share a toy, a land, privilege, love, struggle?

By: Queenscook

Queenscook — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:49:05 +0000

I’m sorry, but I find it sad that the author seems to reject Thanksgiving because there are no set prayers, observances, etc. Do we so lack our own creativity that we have to have set prayers? Why does there have to be a Thanksgiving seder? Why can’t we just thank God like we do every other day of the year, and enjoy our turkey, or tofu, or whatever we eat, and just have a nice day with family, friends, alone, whatever? Let the prayers and observances remain where they deserve to remain–in our Judaic world–and stop trying to make everything else into Judaism. Let me be clear . . . I am not saying that we should take God out of the picture. God forbid! I just don’t see why we have to try to turn Thanksgiving into a Jewish holiday when it isn’t one.