Thanksgiving Message

Third-grade student Maya Diner with mom mom Elena Diner on Grandparents and Special Friends Day at Robert M. Beren Academy. 

And so, the yellow and orange leaves flutter off trees, or so the narrative goes in the fairytale-esque New England. While down here in Texas, we may be far from the quintessential Thanksgiving scene and even from the place where it all started, we still enjoy the same blessings as a result of that fateful boat’s arrival in Plymouth.

As we have been taught, the first Thanksgiving table sat American Indians and Pilgrims, two groups that couldn’t have been more different. From religion to societal structure, they shared almost nothing. Yet, it were these differences that brought them together and led them to appreciate the other’s unique contributions. While they may not have known it yet, this would set an important precedent, which carried into the founding of our nation.

Special Friend Esther Mintz with second-grade student Lillian Kolodny at Grandparents and Special Friends Day at Robert M. Beren Academy. 

Up until that point, Western society had not realized the value of diversity. As a Jew, I am particularly familiar with this matter. Simply due to our convictions, Europe shunned us for centuries. America, on the other hand, which was revolutionarily founded on the idea of liberty for all, bestowed equal rights upon us. Quickly, we were able to climb to the highest levels government, academia and business. 

While Thanksgiving may seem “so 400 years ago,” we must recognize it is due to what this holiday marks that we are able to freely live today. 

So I hope that at your Thanksgiving table, there were no moans when it was your turn to repeat the same clichés. It was our time, even if it just was for a moment, to be thankful for that first Thanksgiving meal.