Thanksgiving

The concept of Thanksgiving is challenging in light of the grief and  loss and devastation we have all faced after October 7. How can we feel gratitude? How can we have faith?

Yet giving thanks is very basic to Jews. It’s the first prayer of the morning—we thank God for letting us live another day.

It’s important to understand that we can be thankful and pained at the same time. We can choose to look at the holiday of Thanksgiving as a reminder that there is an order in this world and that even when we don’t understand it, and certainly when we don’t agree with it, we can express gratitude for what we have, even if we have suffered great loss.

This concept was internalized by many within American Jewry in the latter half of the twentieth century. Leaders embraced the very American concept of Thanksgiving Day. They understood that despite the enormous pain and loss experienced by global Jewry during the Holocaust, the blessings that came with being able to rebuild communities in a new country were something that made a day like Thanksgiving worth celebrating.

Decades later we face a similar inflection point. The past 14 months have been ones of death, devastation, captivity and deep fear. But even in the face of that terror and loss, we know that we, and our children, are a part of the grand heroic Jewish story of living in and defending our own homeland. And for that we give thanks.

In addressing this deeply difficult, almost paradoxical dynamic, my husband Seth and I will lead a Koby Mandell Foundation retreat on Thanksgiving weekend for English speaking bereaved parents, olim. We are grateful to Menachem Mendlowitz for hosting us in his beautiful guest house.

Our participants are all olim, and most of the couples have children who fought for this country and died as soldiers in the Iron Swords War. So many English speaking olim are idealistic and patriotic and pass on their love of Israel to their children, so it’s not surprising that our community has been hit hard in this war with too many losses. Too many beautiful soldiers have died.

In coming together, we will share our pain and also our appreciation for the values of Thanksgiving, thankful for the good that remains, thankful to be together, thankful for all of the support, love and kindness we have received, thankful that we all have so many blessings to celebrate, thankful that we are part of the Jewish story.