#36Reasons - Thanksgiving

Today is 36 days until my 36th birthday.
For the next thirty-six days, I will be seeking out a daily reason to say the Shehecheyanu blessing, a blessing said for new or unique experiences. 

Today is Thanksgiving.
Each year, we say this blessing to thank God for enabling us to be together, to celebrate, to be thankful on the day of giving thanks.

There are many people who would object to this custom. "Thanksgiving isn't a Jewish holiday!" I've been told.

It might not be a strictly Jewish holiday, of course, but what could be better...a holiday celebrating gratitude and giving. A holiday that asks us to count our blessings and feel contentment with what we have. And of course, there's a big family meal involved. As an American Jew, I'm so pleased to be able to be a part of this American AND Jewish custom.

And so each year we say shehecheyanu.

This year I have so much to be thankful for. I can't even begin to enumerate all the things that fill my life with such blessing. I can only say, simply, "thank You."

Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the World, who has created us with hearts open to gratitude, formed us with the ability to be aware of our blessings, and brought us to a day in which we can celebrate those blessings.

This year, we embarked on what we hope will be a new family tradition. Read about it here.

New Thanksgiving Tradition: Challah Turkey

Me: Guys, I'm going to make turkey challah for Shabbat. I'm so excited.
David: Ew, are you going to put turkey in the challah? That's disgusting.
Me: Yep, turkey in the challah. Doesn't that sound good?

I seriously had the kid going for a few minutes...then he realized that I, their vegetarian mama, was NOT putting turkey into my challah.

Instead...voila, a new tradition is born:

After all, the Shabbat after Thanksgiving is actually

Yom Sheni shel Thanksgiving...

(the Second Day of Thanksgiving)

See other turkey challot here.

And the original inspiration...

Need advice: My challot do not have good definition of their shapes.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanksgiving Prayers & Service

I know that in the past there has been a little bit of trouble with the website I was using to host these documents. So I've converted them over to Google Docs this year, here they are, one week before the big day...

Each year, I post about my Thanksgiving Ritual, based loosely on the idea of the Passover Seder. After all, both holidays center around the dinner table, shared with family and/or friends.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful American holiday. It's a simple concept, really - say thank you for the blessings in life and share a meal with those you love.

But often, the meal takes over, stress of family and needing a "picture perfect" celebration cause a little fraying at the edges. Creating an atmosphere of gratitude can be tricky when you're just trying to keep your 3-year-old from pulling the tablecloth off the table, don't you think? So many of us fret over family relationships, different customs, eating habits, and more. Giving everyone a shared purpose, a ritual, can help to ease some of the tensions of how and what to say when you sit down for the big meal.

Feel free to read all three and pick and choose from within them! Your family might be somewhere between the longer edition and the quick version.

The first, a Thanksgiving Seder, is the longest of the three - suitable for strong attention spans.

The second is a service for families with youngish children. This would work for those who have shorter attention spans and might go well with a little snack...some veggies and dip?

And finally, an ecumenical version. What do I mean by that? It talks about God but it's not particularistic, i.e. not really very Jewish. (I know that some of you loyal readers aren't Jewish or share your table with people of many faiths and still might enjoy this concept!)

All three include ideas for usage and suggestions for incorporating your own cultural and ethnic heritage. I hope you like it and I hope you let me know if you use it. To me, this very American holiday is made even better when we add our own traditions of all kinds!

May your celebration be full and enriching!
Happy Thanksgiving!

A Puzzling Thanksgiving

johA whole day of sitting around the house....with a prediction of crummy weather (it actually wasn't so bad) and not much to do...so we procured puzzles for everyone and it was a big hit:

200 Piece 39 Clues Puzzle (and still in pajamas)

100 Piece Space Shuttle Puzzle (and a smaller one which he put together so rapidly that I had to give him the 100 piece one!) (also in pajamas...their favorite part, I think.)

Putting the same 24-piece puzzle together over and over again...

What did you do all day on Thanksgiving?
Thanks to my Dad for the great pictures :-)

Thanksgiving Rituals

This is mostly re-posted from last year, but it's worth having as the holiday of Thanksgiving approaches. (EDITED TO REMOVE THE BAD LINKS!)

It's hard to believe that the holiday of Thanksgiving is nearly upon us.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful American holiday. It's simple - say thank you for the blessings in life and share a meal with those you love.

But often, the meal takes over, stress of family and needing a "picture perfect" celebration cause a little fraying at the edges. Creating an atmosphere of gratitude can be tricky when you're just trying to keep your 3-year-old from pulling the tablecloth off the table, don't you think?

I have created 3 different Thanksgiving services, based loosely on the idea of the Passover seder. After all, one good holiday centered around the table deserves another, doesn't it?

Feel free to read all three and pick and choose from within them! Your family might be somewhere between the longer edition and the quick version.

The first, a Thanksgiving Seder, is the longest of the three - suitable for strong attention spans.

Thanksgiving Seder 

The second, a Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Young Children, is a quick version, meant to be fun and light for the preschool and elementary school set.

Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Small Children 

And finally, an ecumenical version. What do I mean by that? It talks about God but it's not particularistic, i.e. not really very Jewish. (I know that some of you loyal readers aren't Jewish or share your table with people of many faiths and still might enjoy this concept!)

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for Families 

All three include ideas for usage and suggestions for incorporating your own cultural and ethnic heritage. I hope you like it and I hope you let me know if you use it.

May your celebration be full and enriching!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Who ate the pie?

Come back after Shabbat for a really cool giveaway from RotemGear!

Shabbat Shalom!!!

I'm Thankful

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

—Emma Lazarus, 1883

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Rituals for Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe that the holiday of Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Just one more week!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful American holiday. It's simple - say thank you for the blessings in life and share a meal with those you love.

But often, the meal takes over, stress of family and needing a "picture perfect" celebration cause a little fraying at the edges. Creating an atmosphere of gratitude can be tricky when you're just trying to keep your 3-year-old from pulling the tablecloth off the table, don't you think?

I have created 3 different Thanksgiving services, based loosely on the idea of the Passover seder. After all, one good holiday centered around the table deserves another, doesn't it?

Feel free to read all three and pick and choose from within them! Your family might be somewhere between the longer edition and the quick version.

The first, a Thanksgiving Seder, is the longest of the three - suitable for strong attention spans.

Thanksgiving Seder 

The second, a Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Young Children, is a quick version, meant to be fun and light for the preschool and elementary school set.

Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Small Children 

And finally, an ecumenical version. What do I mean by that? It talks about God but it's not particularistic, i.e. not really very Jewish. (I know that some of you loyal readers aren't Jewish or share your table with people of many faiths and still might enjoy this concept!)

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for Families 

All three include ideas for usage and suggestions for incorporating your own cultural and ethnic heritage. I hope you like it and I hope you let me know if you use it.

May your celebration be full and enriching!
Happy Thanksgiving!

What our President-Elect did for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Ritual

Earlier this week, I posted my Thanksgiving Family Ritual, best for tables with young children present.
And over here, I posted an Ecumenical Version.

Today I present a more "grown-up" edition. Offering songs and readings from our nation's founding documents, I think it's a nice simple way to bring religious ritual to the table, so to speak.

Thanksgiving Seder


I'd love to hear your feedback!
Happy Thanksgiving!

A Rant....about Turkey

Okay, so as you may know (hi to my 6 readers), I'm a vegetarian.

I don't eat turkey.

But that's not even what this is about.

I just don't get it.

Thanksgiving's biggest symbol is the turkey.

Not this one (although it does seem important to people):

(picture from Butterball.com)

But this one:












Can you please tell me how that cute little guy with the Pilgrim hat, the one that the kids color, make out of their handprints, act like (gobble gobble), read about and sing about....

...ends up on the dinner plate?

I'm quite sure that no one eats the other symbols of holidays. We don't eat the lulav and etrog. And I know that no one eats bunny on Easter (even though that one's not my holiday, I'm pretty sure about that.) We don't eat Uncle Sam on the 4th of July. We don't even really eat pumpkins so much on Halloween, we're much more about the candy.

So doesn't it seem a bit odd that we EAT the primary cute holiday symbol?

I'm just saying.

What's your Tuesday Torah?

Thanksgiving Rituals

There is one week to go until Thanksgiving!

A few years ago, our family started to do a Thanksgiving Seder, a retake on the Passover Seder. Much like Passover, this is a holiday whose primary ritual centers on a meal. There isn't, however, a set liturgy for the Thanksgiving meal...and that's where I come in. I've made some changes and additions to the Seder my family has used for a number of years. My own kids are, as you know, pretty young, so I've decided to create 2 different documents. The first is here today, for your viewing and downloading pleasure, for families with small children. Hopefully I will have the second soon, with more readings and opportunities for discussion with a more mature crowd.

Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Small Children

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this ritual and how you might incorporate it into your family's Thanksgiving traditions.

Happy Thanksgiving!

happy tday

Happy thanksgiving
A day to thank and rejoice
unless you're a bird

But seriously, there is so much for which to be grateful. Our lives are so blessed.

May this holiday bring blessings.