- NEWS & COMMENTARY
Hezbollah in big Syria battle, Obama ‘concerned’
Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas have fought their biggest battle yet for Syria's beleaguered president, prompting international alarm that the civil war may spread and an urgent call for restraint from the…
What happened to Obama?
You know things are getting rough for President Barack Obama when even The New Yorker, that bastion of liberal thought, starts ridiculing him. Reacting to how the president is distancing himself from his administration’s three emerging scandals—the mishandling of the…
ZOA regains tax-exempt status
After 15 months, the nonprofit pro-Israel Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has regained its tax-exempt status.
- HOLLYWOOD
Mel Brooks’ top 10 Jewy Jewish scenes [VIDEO]
Monday night marks the national premier broadcast of the American Masters installment on Mel Brooks. To mark the occasion, we’ve put together a collection of Brooks’ best Jewish clips.
Alan Dershowitz sends ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ episode to Netanyahu
Comedian Larry David has been called a lot of things over the course of his long and successful career, but we’re pretty sure “peace maker” has never been one of…
James Franco paints ad for ‘This is The End’
Proving once again that there isn’t anything he doesn’t do, James Franco has created marketing material for his upcoming film “This is The End.” The actor/artist/Ph.D. candidate was spotted in…
- LIFE & CULTURE
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
Survivor: Irene Rosenberg
“Mommy, I’ll be right back.” Irene Rosenberg — then Irene Grunfeld — said as she was leaving the apartment of her cousin Mancy Weiss, where she and her mother were…
The Divine Wedding and Kiss - Parashat Naso
“O for your kiss! For your love / More enticing than wine, / For your scent and sweet name – For all this they love you. Take me away to…
- BLOGS
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
What would my Israeli grandmother think?
When I hear about the latest events in Israel – the air strikes on weapons facilities in Syria, the flare-ups over women donning prayer shawls at the Western Wall –…
A hot topic, a great panel, and chance to learn and discuss—immigration at issue
It's a critical time for immigration reform in this country. Washington is getting set to make major changes, the likes of which haven't been seen since the 1980's under President…
- JUDAICA STORE
- INFO
Mobile
Read the JJ
Community/Events
Advertisement
November 25, 2008 | 4:33 pm
How Jewish is Thanksgiving?
Posted by Brad A. Greenberg
Follow JewishJournal.com on 
There were no Jews on the Mayflower, but Edmon J. Rodman says Turkey Day is very Jewy. Thanksgiving celebrates a persecuted religious group that fled their homeland for freedom, and, like all Jewish holidays, it includes family gatherings around food. I guess you could call it an honorary MOT holiday.
Thanksgiving is one of the few days in America where interfaith cooperation reigns, with many synagogues and churches holding combined services. Rabbis, ministers, priests and pastors try valiantly to craft services that will be meaningful yet not offensive to their combined congregations.
As a child at such a service, the first time I went to a church, the service ended with the congregation singing a song of thanks that began, “We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing …” From a hymn book I sang along, reassured to discover that other people sang about God, too.
Jews have their own prayers and psalms of thanks. Modim, a prayer included morning, noon and night in the daily liturgy, includes the words, “We thank you and praise you for our lives that are in your hand.”
This year at my Thanksgiving dinner I plan to break bread with the motzi and end with the Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meal that begins, “Let us thank the One whose food we have eaten.”
The Jewish Journal believes that great community depends on great conversation. So, jewishjournal.com provides a forum for insightful voices across the political and religious spectrum. Bloggers are not employees of The Jewish Journal, and their opinions are their own. Our entire blog policy is here. Please alert us to any violations of our policy by clicking here. (editor@jewishjournal.com). If you'd like to join our blogging community, email us. (webmaster@jewishjournal.com).
And in the sixth year ... The God Blog rested
11.3.12 at 6:40 am | Back to blogging in August 2013 ...
Catholic churches in France accused of being ‘homophobic’
8.20.12 at 12:22 am | Reuters reports that coordinated prayers at ...
Who gets to decide who is a Jew?
8.19.12 at 9:04 pm | In particular, when journalists are identifying. . .
Arizona pastor lands in jail for church meetings at his home
8.18.12 at 9:56 pm | Running afoul of zoning ordinances and an. . .
How many Americans are atheists?
8.18.12 at 8:33 pm | Some research suggests the numbers are rising but. . .
Ahmadinejad calls Israel a ‘cancerous tumour’ soon to be destroyed
8.17.12 at 3:41 pm | At an anti-Israel rally in Tehran on Friday, the. . .
J.J. Abrams talks about ‘Star Trek,’ being Jewish and interfaith marriage
5.7.09 at 11:02 am | In an interview with Danielle Berrin ... (179)
Muslim massacre in Hindu India
11.6.07 at 3:28 am | (78)
Matisyahu talks to Christians about Messiah
7.8.07 at 10:45 pm | (67)
In defense of John Hagee
John Hagee is warmongering quackjob!Holy adult circumcision, Abraham!
To many, there’s something so overwhelmingly...Did liberal journalists conspire to bury Jeremiah Wright coverage?
Jews outlived the Holocaust keeps to be it`s...
Why Phil Mickelson doesn’t golf with Jews
Throughout most of the the 20th Century, probably...The saga of Shankster Gangster
Don’t know who you are offhand, LSJ, but thanks....
La Causa, KPFK’s anti-Semitic radio show, gets suspended
How sad. I liked this show.
More from JewishJournal.com
COMMENTS
We welcome your feedback.
Privacy Policy
Your information will not be shared or sold without your consent. Get all the details.
Terms of Service
JewishJournal.com has rules for its commenting community.Get all the details.
Publication
JewishJournal.com reserves the right to use your comment in our weekly print publication.
Blog Extras
judaism israel christianity politics media los angeles islam barack obama entertainment anti-semitism america sports american jews evangelicals crime the law satire president 08 president 08 god personal john mccain holocaust sexuality catholicism war holidays jesus books europe atheism sarah palin bible academia science death middle east california music capitalism
- Bible Belt Blog
- Blogging the Bible
- Blogging Religiously
- DallasMorningNews
- FaithWorld
- GetReligion
- God-o-Meter
- NYT Religion
- The Seeker
- Christianity Today
- CT LiveBlog
- the ROMANS 8 movement
- Ali Eteraz
- Muslim Matters
- The Atheist Jew
- Bintel Blog
- Jewcy
- Jewish Current Issues
- Jewlicious
- Magnes Zionist
- Mere Rhetoric
- Heeb
- Mondoweiss
- RJ.org
- Seraphic Secret
- Solomonia
- Tikun Olam
- The Tygrrrr Express
- Yid With Lid
- Curbed LA
- FishbowlLA
- LAist
- LA Observed
- Jeffrey Goldberg
- Glenn Greenwald
- Reality-Based Community
- The Volokh Conspiracy
- Friendly Atheist
- The Frontal Cortex
- Science and Religion News
- Bloggish
- GeekHeeb
- Iranian American Jews
- Jews Choose 2008
- Jewlyweds
- So what’s new?
- The Calendar Girls
- VideoJew
General Religion
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Los Angeles
Politics
Science and Skepticism
Jewish Journal
About this Blog
Blog Home
About the Blogger(s)
Contact
Blog Archive
November 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| ||
Site SectionsNewspaper
Serving a community of 600,000, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles is the largest Jewish weekly outside New York City. Our award-winning paper reaches over 150,000 educated, involved and affluent readers each week. Subscribe here. © Copyright 2013 Tribe Media Corp. | ||
|