Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

When I arrived as senior rabbi for Beth Emeth over twenty years ago, the congregation noticed that my family and I would disappear for a few days in late November. During the years when my children were young, my family would celebrate U.S. Thanksgiving either in the Boston area or in central New Jersey, where family members resided. In those years, my boys and I were American citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

Fast forward - Over the last several years, we are proud to be dual citizens and proudly carry two passports. We now authentically celebrate Thanksgiving twice in the Fall, October and November. While we haven't made the trip to the U.S. for Thanksgiving in a number of years, we still celebrate it proudly. As usual, I contact my three siblings to wish them well. This year, my older son continued to celebrate the holiday in Michigan, where he lives, with friends. My younger son and I celebrated it together in Toronto.

As many of us know, the Fall celebration of Thanksgiving is rooted in the Biblical holiday of Sukkot. The Fall harvest festival is regarded as a season of joy and a time of ingathering people and the fruits of the fields.

The concept of expressing gratitude is ritualized every day in our Siddur. Upon awakening, one recites, "Modeh Ani - I give thanks before God." In the core prayer known as the Amidah, one recites, "Modim Anachnu Lach - We give thanks to You."

In this week's Parsha of Vayetze, we read the origin of the word Jew, which literally means, one who is grateful. The matriarch Leah had earlier felt unloved by her husband. However, when she gives birth to her fourth child, Leah names him Yehuda, based on the expression, "On this occasion, I express gratitude to God." Leah's disposition had transformed to one of thankfulness when she had her fill of children.

While holy days and holidays this year have been celebrated with a sense of loneliness and dissatisfaction, I encourage all of us to find something worthy of gratitude on a daily basis.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison