Jews and Thanksgiving – A Natural Fit

(Adapted from an essay I wrote for our synagogue’s enewsletter)

When Irv and I moved to Denver in 1970, we had no family here. So, our next-door neighbor kindly invited us for Thanksgiving dinner. And first she asked, “Do Jews celebrate Thanksgiving?”

While I appreciated that she was respectful and curious, I was also a little surprised since I had never thought about it before. Family Thanksgiving celebrations had always been a part of my childhood. After Irv and I met, we began spending it with his sister, Barbara, who said it was her favorite holiday and hosted a festive family gathering. For the last four decades, we’ve spent almost every Thanksgiving with our friend Jan, her family and friends, a group usually numbering well over 20.

I think of Thanksgiving as a secular holiday, featuring my favorite people and my favorite foods – turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and Grandma Rose’s apple pie. What’s not to celebrate?

Doing some research, I learned that Thanksgiving may be more Jewish than not. Numerous sources say that the first Thanksgiving hosted by the Pilgrims was fashioned after the Jewish holiday of Sukkot since both are fall harvest festivals.

According to Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, there are other Jewish-Thanksgiving connections including these fun facts:

·       The first Thanksgiving Day Parade was started by the descents of Adam Gimbel, a Jewish immigrant from Bavaria, who founded the Gimbels Department Store chain.

·       The green bean casserole often served at Thanksgiving dinners was popularized in the 1950s by Jewish food writer Cecily Brownstone.

The more I study Mussar, the more I appreciate that Thanksgiving is a natural fit for Jews. After all, aren’t we all about giving thanks? Gratitude is a core Jewish value. Our prayers are filled with praise and thanks. In the morning blessings, we thank God for the openings in our body that keep us healthy. Before we eat, we have a multitude of choices: prayers for bread, fruit, vegetables, and of course, wine. And there are prayers and psalms to recite before bed.

In fact, the rabbis say we should recite 100 blessings a day. “The Mishnah exhorts us to pray when we see lightening, mountains, deserts, the ocean, a long-lost friend and myriad other things as well. Each category has its own formulated blessing, reminding us of the Author of all. This is not the enterprise of accumulating blessings; it is training in cultivating appreciation,” writes Rabbi David Wolpe.

So may you have a blessed Thanksgiving, whatever your faith.