Give thanks for Thanksgiving
When I worked at a bank in Williamsburg, my coworkers asked me, “Dan, do Jewish people celebrate Thanksgiving?” I told them, "celebrate it? we invented it!"
Thanksgiving is a day of displaying gratitude for the blessing of the harvest of the preceding year. Pilgrims and Puritans who began emigrating from England in the early 1600’s carried the tradition of Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England from England. The English tradition was based on the ancient Thanksgiving harvest festival from the Bible, the Feast of Booths or known to us as Sukkot. Thanksgiving is a Jewish concept. Expressing gratitude for what God has givens is what being Jewish is all about.
In this week's Parsha 11 of the 12 tribes are born. When Yehudah is born his mother states, “this time, I will thank the Lord! Therefore, she named him Yehuda”. Yehudah or Judah is the namesake for the Jews today. Being thankful is who we are.
Descartes : I think therefore I am.
Jews : I thank therefore I am.
Today I am specifically thankful for this wonderful country that we live in. America is not perfect, however Jews have enjoyed great religious freedom in this country. If we look around the world at some other countries we can really see a reason to be thankful to God for the existence of these United States.
A quick look around the world.
North Korea- Amnesty International reports arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment resulting in death, and executions. North Korea also applies capital punishment, including public executions.
The State Security Department extrajudicially apprehends and imprisons those accused of political crimes without due process.People perceived as hostile to the government, such as Christians or critics of the leadership, are deported to labor camps without trial,often with their whole family and mostly without any chance of being released. Based on satellite images and defector testimonies, Amnesty International estimates that around 200,000 prisoners are held in six large political prison camps,] where they are forced to work in conditions approaching slavery.
Eritrea- Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association are limited. Those that practice "unregistered" religions, try to flee the nation, or escape military duty are arrested and put into prison. According to Human Rights Watch, the government's human rights record is considered among the worst in the world. Some Western countries, particularly the United States, have in particular accused the Eritrean authorities of arbitrary arrest and detentions, and of detaining an unknown number of people without charge for their political activism.
Thank God I do not live in these countries! Through no fault of my own, except divine luck I am not in a detention center today but I am enjoying a Turkey dinner with the ones I love.
Thank God for Thanksgiving
Thank God for America
Thank God for God
When I worked at a bank in Williamsburg, my coworkers asked me, “Dan, do Jewish people celebrate Thanksgiving?” I told them, "celebrate it? we invented it!"
Thanksgiving is a day of displaying gratitude for the blessing of the harvest of the preceding year. Pilgrims and Puritans who began emigrating from England in the early 1600’s carried the tradition of Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England from England. The English tradition was based on the ancient Thanksgiving harvest festival from the Bible, the Feast of Booths or known to us as Sukkot. Thanksgiving is a Jewish concept. Expressing gratitude for what God has givens is what being Jewish is all about.
In this week's Parsha 11 of the 12 tribes are born. When Yehudah is born his mother states, “this time, I will thank the Lord! Therefore, she named him Yehuda”. Yehudah or Judah is the namesake for the Jews today. Being thankful is who we are.
Descartes : I think therefore I am.
Jews : I thank therefore I am.
Today I am specifically thankful for this wonderful country that we live in. America is not perfect, however Jews have enjoyed great religious freedom in this country. If we look around the world at some other countries we can really see a reason to be thankful to God for the existence of these United States.
A quick look around the world.
North Korea- Amnesty International reports arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment resulting in death, and executions. North Korea also applies capital punishment, including public executions.
The State Security Department extrajudicially apprehends and imprisons those accused of political crimes without due process.People perceived as hostile to the government, such as Christians or critics of the leadership, are deported to labor camps without trial,often with their whole family and mostly without any chance of being released. Based on satellite images and defector testimonies, Amnesty International estimates that around 200,000 prisoners are held in six large political prison camps,] where they are forced to work in conditions approaching slavery.
Eritrea- Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association are limited. Those that practice "unregistered" religions, try to flee the nation, or escape military duty are arrested and put into prison. According to Human Rights Watch, the government's human rights record is considered among the worst in the world. Some Western countries, particularly the United States, have in particular accused the Eritrean authorities of arbitrary arrest and detentions, and of detaining an unknown number of people without charge for their political activism.
Thank God I do not live in these countries! Through no fault of my own, except divine luck I am not in a detention center today but I am enjoying a Turkey dinner with the ones I love.
Thank God for Thanksgiving
Thank God for America
Thank God for God
RSS Feed