Thanksgiving and the Jews

poemmom

Thu, Nov 27 2008, 4:54 pm

*by Rabbi Marc D. Angel

President George Washington proclaimed Thursday November 26, 1789 as a
day of national thanksgiving to God "for His kind care and protection of
the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the
signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His
providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great
degreee of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;
for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to
establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and
particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and
religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of
acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the
great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us."

The Jewish communities in the United States of that time rejoiced in the
role they played in establishing this new country. Already in 1784,
leaders of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City (founded 1654)
had sent a letter to Governor George Clinton on behalf of "the ancient
congregation of Israelites" in which they said: "Though the society we
belong to is but small, when compared with other religious societies,
yet we flatter ourselves that none has manifested a more zealous
attachment to the sacred cause of America in the late war with Great
Britain....And we now look forward with pleasure to the happy days we
expect to enjoy under a constitution wisely framed to preserve the
inestimable blessings of civil and religious liberty."

A new country was born, and the Jews had participated in its formation.
They were equal citizens in the United States. This was not true of Jews
in any country in Europe or in the Muslim world. American Jews were the
first in the history of the diaspora to be citizens on an equal footing
with their non-Jewish neighbors, and to have actually participated in
fighting for the independence of a new nation.

When President Washington called for a day of Thanksgiving, Jews
observed this day with joy and pride. At Shearith Israel in New York,
the Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas arranged a suitable service of prayer,
and delivered an address in which he called upon Jews "to support that
government which is founded upon the strictest principles of equal
liberty and justice."

In subsequent years, days of Thanksgiving were similarly celebrated at
Shearith Israel and the other early Jewish congregations. These days
were invariably proclaimed in the name of the American people, and were
meant to be observed by each citizen according to his or her own faith.
In 1817, New York State established an annual observance of Thanksgiving
Day. Shearith Israel held services on each subsequent year--except 1849
and 1854. In those two years, the Governor of the State had addressed
his proclamation specifically to "a Christian people" instead of to
Americans of all faiths. Other than these two years, Thanksgiving has
been proclaimed for all Americans, each according to his and her own
faith.

It is sometimes heard in Orthodox Jewish circles that Thanksgiving Day
is a "non-Jewish holiday" and should not be observed by religious Jews.
This view is historically wrong and morally dubious. Thanksgiving Day is
a national American holiday for all residents of the United States, of
all religions. Jews participated in Thanksgiving from the very beginning
of the United States' history. This national holiday belongs to Jews as
to all other Americans. It is altogether fitting that Jews join fellow
Americans in observing a day of Thanksgiving to the Almighty for all the
blessings He has bestowed upon this country. Jews, in particular, have
much reason to thank God for the opportunities and freedoms granted to
us in the United States.

In his famous letter to the Jewish community of Newport in 1790,
President Washington wrote: "May the children of the stock of Abraham
who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the
other inhabitants--while every one shall sit in safety under his own
vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid." These are
words, expressive of the American spirit at its best, for which we can
be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Clarissa

Thu, Nov 27 2008, 4:58 pm

Thank you for posting this -- or should I say I'm thankful that you posted it? I just read a bunch of it to my husband. Very good article.

gonewiththewind

Thu, Nov 27 2008, 5:03 pm

G-d bless America

Maya

Thu, Nov 27 2008, 5:14 pm

Thanks for posting.

avigailmiriam

Thu, Nov 27 2008, 6:35 pm

Mark Angel is a really cool guy he is (or was, he may have retired and had his son take over) the chief rabbi of Shearith Israel, which is a really lovely shul.

Chocoholic

Thu, Nov 27 2008, 7:36 pm

Nice article. I guess it's a new pashkville thing to "ban" thanksgiving.

Ruchel

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 7:25 am

It's a very "new wave charedi" thing to ban national holidays. Even in aix les bains they have a free evening in honour of 14 July.

This rabbi sounds interesting. Anyone has an idea where he comes from? could he be Greek? I have Angel cousins, and Gilda (his wife) is a family name...

HindaRochel

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 8:06 am

Not that new. I know many people who weren't celebrating 20 or so years ago, and I don't think their parents celebrated either, but I'm not sure.

We are having turkey tonight/tomorrow.
My dh ordered the turkey about a week ago; the store owner asked "what size, big or little. My dh said "medium." I don't know how big "BIG" would have been but "medium barely fit into the oven with the bottom rack out. I think we'd have to cook a big one on a spit outside. (And yes we have an American oven).

Ruchel

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 8:09 am

I'm sure not everyone celebrated, but it's the ban that sounds very "new wave", as opposed to just nothing, live and let live, etc.

Mrs Bissli

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 8:35 am

Ruchel wrote:

Bingo. I think Rabbi Angel is from Seatle sephardi community, which I believe is Rhodian.
I think Mrs A is an ashkenazi (could be wrong), but she has published a good pan-sephardi cookbook.

Ruchel

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 8:37 am

Mrs Bissli wrote:

Ruchel wrote:

Bingo. I think Rabbi Angel is from Seatle sephardi community, which I believe is Rhodian.
I think Mrs A is an ashkenazi (could be wrong), but she has published a good pan-sephardi cookbook.

Oh cool!

Mommyholic

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 10:38 am

Well, just to clarify things. The national holiday Thanksgiving was actually established by Abraham Lincoln as thanks to G-d for His aid in helping the nation following the Civil War-so turkey and the likes have absolutely nothing to do with it. And should you be celebrating it due to its original source in America, then those were actually celebrated as religious holidays. George Washington's declaration was only for that year.

The first Thanksgiving in America was celebrated in the St. Augustine Mission in Florida-it's the oldest mission (building used to convert the local Native Americans to Christianity by the Spanish) and church in America, still standing today. And the other Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth Plantation in Mass. also as a thanks to their G-d for providing them with sustenance. And the Puritans that did so were quite religious and completely intolerant to any other religion. (In fact speaking of banning, that was all they were good at. Even playing games or laughing was a sin.) They had no qualms expelling anyone from their colony (remember then there was nowhere else really to go); including a woman (anne Hutchinson) and her 13 children into the dead of winter, so long as she leave their colony for publicly questioning their religion.

Just the 4-1-1 on this holiday so people understand what they are or aren;t celebrating.

Clarissa

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 12:10 pm

I love Thanksgiving. Lots to be thankful for in my life, I'm very grateful to America as an American Jew, and I love love love any holiday that's completely focused around food.

anuta

Fri, Nov 28 2008, 12:18 pm

I love thanksgiving. Its the only holiday (besides 4th of July, but we don't have a grill, so it doesn't count) that me and my nonreligious family can celebrate together.

Barbara

Sat, Nov 29 2008, 7:15 pm

Mrs Bissli wrote:

Ruchel wrote:

Bingo. I think Rabbi Angel is from Seatle sephardi community, which I believe is Rhodian.
I think Mrs A is an ashkenazi (could be wrong), but she has published a good pan-sephardi cookbook.

Rabbi Angel was the rabbi of Shearith Israel, also known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City. He is also a former head of the Rabbinic Counsel of America (RCA).

Raisin

Sat, Nov 29 2008, 8:12 pm

Clarissa wrote:

I love Thanksgiving. Lots to be thankful for in my life, I'm very grateful to America as an American Jew, and I love love love any holiday that's completely focused around food.

I'm sure a Clarissa thanksgiving involves lots of chocolate desserts, too!

Clarissa

Sat, Nov 29 2008, 9:00 pm

This year it didn't, but it always has in past years.

frumluv

Sat, Nov 29 2008, 10:03 pm

Thanks for sharing.

ValleyMom

Thu, Nov 26 2009, 10:30 am

FYI
The Puritans were not all bleak and dreary...

The very first THANKSGIVING was celebrated for THREE days of eating, storytelling, races and F-U-N!!!
The Pilgrims invited TWO Native Americans and they brought NINETY of their closest friends and relatives... They just cooked up some more food... Nobody whined about the extra work!

So there is NO need to for Thanksgiving Bashing.
If you live in the USA it is a day to acknowledge our Freedom and Civil Liberties!

Yocheved84

Thu, Nov 26 2009, 10:43 am

Ironically, Congregation Shearith Israel is on the Thanksgiving Day Parade route. I read your article while standing on its steps. Todah Rabah for sharing.