For the last few months I seem to have received the same article once a week on average – in emails from friends and congregants, on Facebook. and through every Jewish news outlet and magazine online. Haven’t you heard yet? This year’s Chanukah starts as early as the day before Thanksgiving!!! According to the fascinating article, this has never happened before (it actually did fall that early once, but that was before Thanksgiving was proclaimed!), and it will never happen again – at least not in my lifetime (next time Chanukah will coincide with Thanksgiving is reported to be in over seventy thousand years from now). By all accounts, a pretty unique scenario!
The event has already been dubbed ‘Thanksgivukkah,’ and an entire menu appropriate for the day has been suggested, including a Manishevitz-soaked turkey (yes, really). A special chanukiah shaped as a turkey (I believe they call it ‘menorkey’) is on sale – and I’m sure that by the time you get to read this article, there will be even more paraphernalia on sale marking the ‘special’ occasion.
It is indeed highly unusual to have Chanukah fall that early. It is indeed pretty special to know that for the first time in our lifetimes we will have a chance to light Chanukah candles at the Thanksgiving table, most likely with our entire family in one place! But rather than spending time on coming up with funny names and questionable menu choices, I propose we spend some time going ‘back to basics’ of both Thanksgiving and Chanukah. Gather our families and remember to say what we are thankful for this year – and every year! Enjoy food and company, and remember to share both of these things with the homeless, the lonely, and the shut-ins by donating a turkey and some time to the ICM Thanksgiving dinner or inviting someone who doesn’t have a family to share this day with to be at your table. Let’s mark Chanukah, the festival celebrating the Jewish independence in the land of Israel, by engaging more with our community! Let’s engage with our own Jewish identity! Let’s commit to gaining a little more Jewish learning and maybe even to visiting Israel, the modern Jewish state, to celebrate what our ancient ancestors fought to have – and our contemporaries strive to protect, an independent Jewish country, where Chanukah is not competing with Christmas and where Rosh Hashanah is off for everyone…
Let’s not call it Thanksgivukkah. Let’s not diminish the special message of Thanksgiving and the powerful message of Chanukah by fusing them together – even if they do happen to fall on the same day this year. Let’s give each festival the proper honor and attention they deserve, and let’s use this opportunity to try and become better people and better Jews while celebrating each.
As this year’s Shabbat Chanukah falls on the Thanksgiving weekend we will not be holding our annual Chanukah dinner – but if you are in town on November 29, please come to celebrate Shabbat Chanukah at TE at 6:30 pm – and don’t forget to bring your chanukiah so that we can fill our sanctuary with an abundance of light (even if it does look like turkeyJ)!
Wishing you all a happy and joyous Chanukah, filled with light and wonder – and a Happy Thanksgiving!