blogs/rabbi-ed-feinstein

In 1620, our Pilgrim ancestors escaped the tyranny and religious persecution of the Old World and braved a treacherous journey, to find  freedom on this continent. They landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. Settling at the edge of a vast wilderness, they nearly perished. They were rescued by generous natives who brought food and taught them to survive in this land. A year later, the Pilgrims sat down to a feast of Thanksgiving, in gratitude to the natives who welcomed them and in gratitude to a providential God who protected them. And so we gather each year to share our appreciation for our freedom, our blessings and our bounty.

My ancestors weren't here in 1620. But this is my story and this is my holiday nonetheless. My people also knew tyranny. They lived in fear of the knock at the door in the middle of the night. They too dreamed of freedom for their children, endured a harrowing journey, and found here a New World, open to their contributions of talent and energy. For a Jew with a sense of history, America is a miracle. Other lands of the Diaspora afforded degrees of security and opportunity. But only America has offered a genuine sense of belonging.

It is not just the Bill of Rights that opened America to us. It is this remarkable congruence of the American story and the Jewish story that gives us a sense of being at home here. We share the experience of exodus, of journey, of God's protection, of reaching the promised land. We share the imperative to protect liberty, to express our gratitude, and to share with those in need. Thanksgiving, the sacred festival of American civic religion, uniquely captures the miracle of homecoming that Jews share with all other Americans. They even chose the right food. Had they made the feast around a ham, we would have had a very different experience of America.

One year, as we began our Thanksgiving feast, my son became very upset: "You forgot to make Kiddush!" he cried. For a Jew raised in the rich symbolism of Jewish tradition, there is something wanting in Thanksgiving. What we  need is a Thanksgiving Seder. For the Thanksgiving feast is more than chance to pile on drumsticks and second-helpings of dressing. It is a time for a second-helping of our stories and our recognition of what a miracle America has been to the Jewish people. How did your family come to this country? What risks were faced, what difficult choices made? Who helped you? Tell the stories, recite the tales, recount the heroes, remember the tragedies. And while you're up, please pass another slice of pie. Happy Thanksgiving.