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Monday Dec 01, 2008
Majoring in Aliyah: Thanksgiving is not my holiday
Posted by Lahav Harkov
Comments: 8
    
This past Thursday was Thanksgiving in America. I started thinking about what Thanksgiving is all about while I was working at my part-time job, rather than having the weekend off. Growing up, the fourth Thursday in November meant two things to me: waking up early to watch the parade on TV, and getting ready to bargain-shop the next day. Some years, my sister and I would go to see the latest blockbuster movie. If I was celebrating with my mother's side of the family, we'd get together in the evening for dinner at our favorite deli in Manhattan. If I was celebrating with my father's side, we'd go to my grandmother's house to eat a more traditional Thanksgiving meal in the early afternoon - that was catered by our favorite deli in New Jersey. Thanksgiving never felt like much of a holiday to me. I'm used to very intense holidays. My family begins preparing days before, starting by picking out menus, going to the supermarket, and finally cooking all day on Erev Chag. Then, we have a big meal with family and friends in the evening. We go to shul in the morning, and have another big meal, eating until we feel like we can't fit into our clothes anymore. Sound familiar? To me, a holiday is all about the meaning of that specific day. There are no football games to watch or shopping lists to write. I wear dresses and high heels, not jeans and a sweater, because the holiday isn't about having a long, relaxing weekend off, it's about honoring tradition. My family and I get 100% in Yom Tov mode. How many people actually discuss what they're thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner? Have you ever talked about Pilgrims, Indians and maize at the table? I know I haven't, and in a brief survey of my friends, most of them don't either. Even though I was born and raised in America, Thanksgiving was never my holiday. In a way, it was as goyishe as Christmas; in fact, Thanksgiving was a lead-in to the days when America felt least like home. That's how I realized what I'm really thankful for. I'm thankful that I don't celebrate Thanksgiving anymore. I'm thankful to live in a country where holidays aren't blatantly about consumerism. If there are holiday-season sales in Israel, they're generally in the supermarket, to help people afford their big meals. There aren't special Rosh Hashana episodes of popular shows on TV, because the holidays aren't about entertainment. They're about family and traditions, even for those who aren't religious. I'm thankful for finding chocolate coins and jelly donuts in every supermarket as soon as the month of Kislev begins, and for seeing dairy recipes in all the newspapers in the weeks leading up to Shavuot, rather than seeing symbols of holidays that have nothing to do with me. Most of all, I'm thankful for living in a country where I am truly connected to the meaning of its holidays. My roots are found in these days; if some of the miracles we regularly celebrate as Jews hadn't happened, we might not be here today. I'm thankful for living in a country where a Jew can truly belong. A country that feels like, and is my home. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Chen,Israel,
Wednesday Dec 03, 2008
And we should all be thankful to have such wonderful Zionistic young olim!
Bravo Lahav!
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Barney Stinson,
Wednesday Dec 03, 2008
Legendarily Awesome
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LinB New York,
Thursday Dec 04, 2008
I am sorry that the author and her family missed obtaining an understanding of the U.S., the ideals which brought about it's creation and it's greatness. Where would the world be without the U.S. model of freedom from tyranny and military might to combat Nazism, Communism and current threats of annihilation? In the author's universe of shopping and food from the deli, the great gifts flowing from American heart, soul and treasure are 'just there' and to be taken for granted.
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Judie Boim Long Branch New Jersey,
Thursday Dec 04, 2008
I am a first generation American and I could not disagree more with your assesment of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving represents a meaningful ritual in which to acknowledge hakarat hatov to a country that allows us to celebrate all of the chagim in peace and confidence. Every year my father would give the same heartfelt speech. He would start with "zeh hayom nagillah vnismicha bo" how America allowed him to educate his children and grandchildren, no gymnasium quotas,live a full jewish life without fear and to make a living. The parade, the shopping were extra. The Thank you was the essence.
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Messiah Rhodes - New York,
Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Thanksgiving besides all of the obvious negative connotations of consumerism and etc. Is about the fact the early founders of America escaped political and religious tyranny with nothing and was able to work and able to feast in peace and security.
That goes for any past, present immigrant that arrives in this country. Be thankful that you are able to do this here if you work hard enough.
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Betty Seidner,
Friday Dec 05, 2008
We don't always celebrate thanksgiviing because we are thankful to G'd every day---but since most people are off from work, since childhood we did celebrate and yes sat around and said what we were thankful for. Several years ago one of my grandchildren maybe 10 at the time said she was thankful for being Jewish. This is one holiday that I feel is American almost like the 4th of July. That doesn't take away from our love of Israel . And maybe like Lahav Harkov if I'm living in Israel, Thanksgiving will be replaced by a holiday of peace for all truly be conected to Hashem
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Stephen Mayo, New Rochelle NY,
Saturday Dec 06, 2008
Poor Lahav. Never to have enjoyed this greatest of American holidays. If consumerism plagues you, that is your fault . For thinking and caring Americans, Thanksgiving is a respite from the inevitable commercialism of Christmas (and Chanukah) that follows. Apart from native American oppression, the sick persistence of slavery and other sad sidebars of our great and continuing American narrative, it is a proud day for every community, native born and just "minted." For Jews in Israel and the shrinking world diaspora-remnant, after all, where would we all be without her.?
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Rachel, Tel Aviv, Israel,
Thursday Dec 11, 2008
It has been my experience that many religious Jews in America have always distanced themselves from Thanksgiving. A Jewish US Congressman I met a few years back believed that they saw a non-religious holiday as a challenge to the authority of Judaism; an occasion when Jews and Gentiles can mix and celebrate together. In other words a threat to Jewish religious hegemony over the life of religious Jews. I mentioned the congressmans opinion once to a few Jewish friends at a simcha in Florida, and almost without exception all agreed. Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday. We need it in Israel, too.
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