by Yvette Perry
The History
Could it be that the first Thanksgiving observance was adapted from the holiday of Sukkot? After all, they are both harvest festivals that take place in the fall. So perhaps it is possible that Sukkot was the inspiration to celebrate Thanksgiving. If we then trace that connection to Sukkot with the importance Judaism places on saying thank you for all our blessings, it surely can be said that Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in Jewish values.
“Judaism” is actually built upon the word gratitude. Because Leah was grateful to God for the gift of another son, she named him Yehudah (Judah) which means, “I am grateful.” In fact, Judah’s name carried such importance that it became the name for our people—Yehudim, Jews, literally, the grateful ones. How profound that at the root of what it means to be Jewish is the very idea of gratitude!
When each spring farmers brought baskets of the first fruits of their harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem, it was as an offering of thanks to God. This mitzvah of bikkurim (Deuteronomy 26:1–12) is all about gratitude. In fact, opportunities to give thanks run throughout our Jewish calendar.
Thus, the attitude of gratitude is a central theme in Judaism. Rabbi Levine emphasized gratitude in his Yom Kippur sermon of 2007, “Appreciation of blessings is vital. Appreciation of blessings can even be life-changing, for, if you are blessed, Judaism tells you, you must be a blessing.”
Celebrating Thanksgiving
In 1789, President George Washington called for an official day of thanksgiving and it became a holiday to appreciate our freedom, our blessings, and our bounty. Thanksgiving offers us the opportunity for sharing what we are thankful for in our lives: health, family, friends, community, and, oh yes, feast! We take this moment to reflect on what we have, how we want to improve ourselves, and how we can make life better for others.
Together in spirit if not in person, we can still demonstrate our gratitude and deep sense of blessing for all we have—and especially for our CRS community that keeps us keepin’ on. Without doubt, together we are strengthened by what we have in common—an overwhelming sense of thankfulness.
The Meal
Sitting around a table with family and friends. Delicious food ready to be enjoyed. Gathering for a meal and giving thanks. What could be more Jewish? Sharing values and tradition, Thanksgiving and Judaism is the perfect match. Here are two tasty recipes with a Jewish twist to go with your turkey.
The rich texture of challah bread with pumpkin makes this stuffing an extra special Thanksgiving treat. Use this stuffing in your favorite turkey recipe. By the way, you probably will not have any leftovers so make some extra for outside the bird!
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PASTRAMI
Who doesn’t love roasted Brussels sprouts? Instead of bacon, these Brussels sprouts are flavored with pastrami—perfect for a Jewish Thanksgiving table! Add a hefty sprinkling of pickled red onions that adds color and crunch.
PJ Library’s Gratitude Resources for Kids
- Eight Ways to Teach Kids About Gratitude
- Creative Ideas for Helping Kids Learn About Gratitude
- 9 Children’s Books that Help Kids Learn to Be Thankful
Readings
These words of hope from Robert F. Kennedy reflect how much he loved this country and its people. This prayer of tikkun olam could not be more appropriate for this year, on this Thanksgiving. Even during a most challenging year such as this one, we can lift ourselves up to find the courage to keep fighting for what we believe in.
Prayer for Our Country
Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing one person can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills, misery, ignorance, and violence. Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in the total of all those acts will be written the history of a generation. It is from numberless, diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a person stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he or she sends a tiny ripple of hope. Crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples can build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
Robert F. Kennedy
What with all the complications this year has brought to each of our lives, here is an especially uplifting reading to share a little lightness and some joy at your Thanksgiving table this year.
This Year, Give Thanks, For Everything
This year, give thanks, for everything. Let the tingle of gratitude move into the bones of your body, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. With each beat of your heart, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Dance for the joy, for the love, for the freedom, for the food in your belly, for the beating hearts of the beings that surround you. Sing for the sorrows, for the heartbreak, for the sadness you can’t seem to shake, for the losses, for all those faces that no longer exist in this realm. Speak with words that come straight from your heart, be honest, be kind, be love.
Author Unknown
What Can We Do to Help?
To be a Jew is to experience the pain of others, as well as rejoice in their happiness as if it were our own. To be a Jew is to acknowledge and accept the perspective of hope and joy even in the midst of great hardship.
Rabbi Menachem Feldman, Chabad Lubavitch Center, CT
Bring your Jewish values and rituals into this Thanksgiving celebration! Torah teaches that our gratitude must lead us to taking action. Moreover, to be a Reform Jew is to be engaged in the ongoing work of tikkun olam. Now is as great a time as any for doing acts of kindness that will help repair our world. Reform Judaism’s Religion Action Center has a list of resources on how we can help. Get inspired to stuff your Thanksgiving with social justice!
In Rabbi Levine’s Thanksgiving message of 2015 to the congregation, he urged:
Let us not abandon historic memory or our cherished Jewish values. Even though we may feel scared or vulnerable, we must not forget who we are and what our venerable heritage stands for. We should count our blessings many times. Think about those who battle hunger for themselves and their families and donate to our congregation’s Food Drive. When we respond to our well-being by being a blessing to all of God’s children, we are fulfilling the reason God created us in the first place.
Rabbi Robert N. Levine
Thankfulness and Our Health
Scientists have found that there are all sorts of positive outcomes from practicing gratitude. Our physical health and immunity against disease is improved. When we rid ourselves of negative emotions such as resentment, frustration, and regret, replacing them with thoughts of gratitude, we can sleep better, gain more self-respect, and have better relationships. In fact, in mindfulness practice, it helps us subdue our anxiety and instead replace it with the things we value and things we can give back. With gratitude, we are more hopeful about the future.
Before COVID, did we appreciate the things we had? Have we learned to be more grateful for what we have? Like a fridge full of food, our friends and family, the roof over our heads, and having an extra 6-pack of Charmin? We focus now on simple acts like going for a walk and reading a book. This time has definitely reminded us to simply stop and smell the roses—it will make us feel better.
Read more about all the positive benefits practicing gratitude has on our health.
Before COVID, we could offer a handshake, a pat on the back, or a hug … Now, there are different means of expressing appreciation: a shout out at a Zoom work meeting, a thumbs up or heart emoji, a retweet, a daily or weekly email to your team … During moments of crisis such as this pandemic, a grateful perspective is critical to sustain our positive attitude—to energize, to heal, and to bring hope … Take this moment to focus on the goodness in the world and in your life.
Robert Emmons, Psychologist and World Expert on Gratitude
Saying Thank You
We have been witnesses to a litany of grievous circumstances this year, our country afflicted by injustice and plague. It is when we say thank you, when we count our blessings, and when we perform mitzvot, that we make ourselves feel more fulfilled. That doesn’t mean we’re done. But it does mean that taking a minute to recognize our blessings means we can be more satisfied with what we have. This has been an unforgettable and most challenging period in our lives. And one day we will come out on the other side of it. Having gone through it together with hearts full of hope and gratitude, we may even make it a step closer to tikkun olam. Because to be a Jew is to be grateful. In a nutshell, every day is Thanksgiving Day in Judaism! So now, more than ever, this Thanksgiving, let us say hakarat hatov, thank you.
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
Known for his sweet and “sumptuous” (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacher’s Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacher’s Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Na’s first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, L’takein, B’tzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leeds’ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performer’s mic at a party and belted out the entire song“Tomorrow” from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMY® Award for her original music.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Kol B’Seder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,” “Modeh Ani,” and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received her Master’s in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaism’s many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Sarah Adams 
Leonard Bernstein described 
Praised by the New York Times as “irresistible in both music and performance.” flutist, 
Margaret Kampmeier, 
Michael Roth
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
