As we move into Shabbat and look ahead to Thanksgiving next week, I find myself reflecting on how naturally these two moments speak to each other. One is deeply American, the other deeply Jewish, yet both ask us to pause, breathe, and notice the blessings that sustain us.
Shabbat invites us each week to feel gratitude, while Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to celebrate it with family, friends, and loved ones. Both holidays ask us to step back from the urgency, noise, and worry of daily life and remind us of what grounds us.
Gratitude can sometimes feel complex in a world filled with uncertainty and struggle. Our hearts hold the weight of global challenges, particularly the steep rise in antisemitism, of people and communities in Israel beginning to heal, and of the relentless headlines that seem to follow us everywhere. And yet, we are also surrounded by extraordinary acts of generosity, courage, hope, and connection. Gratitude does not ask us to ignore hardship; it offers us a chance to see the good around us despite the challenges that persist.
Our tradition teaches that Hakarat HaTov, the recognition of the good, is not merely a feeling but a practice. It is an intentional choice to notice the people who support us, the communities that hold us, and the moments of meaning that give our lives shape and purpose. In Pirkei Avot we read, “Eizehu ashir? Ha’sameach b’chelko.” Who is rich? The one who rejoices in what they have. This is not an invitation to settle, but an opportunity to open our hearts to the gifts already present around us.
I recently returned from an amazing trip to Israel with an incredible group of 19 women from Greater MetroWest NJ. It was impossible not to feel inspired by the spirit of our group and the people we met. Israelis, who expressed not only gratitude for our visit, but also genuine concern for our well-being in the United States. Standing with our partners and friends, listening to their stories, and witnessing their resilience reminded me that gratitude is not only about comfort; it is also about deep, meaningful, heartfelt connections of which we have so many.
I am grateful for every person who welcomed us, who shared their pain and their hopes, and who showed us what strength looks like in real time. Their courage is a gift, and it deepened our understanding of what it means to belong to a people who never stop showing up for one another. We are fortunate to be part of the Jewish people, especially in challenging times.
And as we hold gratitude, we also remember our responsibility. This Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday immediately following Thanksgiving, we are asking our community to focus on supporting Federation’s Holocaust Survivor Fund. The needs of our survivors who carry both the scars of history and the wisdom of resilience remain profound. On Giving Tuesday, your gift will be matched, doubling your impact.
Each year, we are funding nearly one million dollars of essential services for this incredibly vulnerable and rapidly aging population. It is our responsibility to ensure that the hundreds of survivors living in our community can live their later years with dignity, security, and comfort. Supporting them is among the most sacred acts of tzedakah, righteousness, we can undertake. In a season defined by gratitude, caring for them is a powerful expression of the blessings and good fortune in our own lives.
As we move into Shabbat and Thanksgiving, I am deeply grateful for my family, both biological and chosen. I am grateful to work for our Federation and to live in a community that cares so deeply for one another, that refuses to become indifferent, and that rises to meet every challenge with compassion and strength. I am grateful for the work we share, for partnerships near and far, including those strengthened on our recent Israel mission, and for the sacred task of building a Jewish future rooted in generosity and hope.
As Shabbat and Thanksgiving approach, may we feel gratitude in our hearts, and may the spirit of this season remind us that even in difficult times, we are blessed and that we have the power to be a blessing for those around us.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Thanksgiving!