eSefarad Noticias del Mundo Sefaradi
Wishing all those who celebrate a Joyous Thanksgiving. There are strong historical connections between Judaism and Thanksgiving. Most of the Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving were Puritans, a branch of the Protestant faith. The Puritans strongly identified with the historical traditions and customs of the Israelites in the Bible.
Many people believe that the Pilgrims modeled Thanksgiving after the holiday of Sukkot, as they are both harvest festivals that take place in the fall. In Jewish tradition, Sukkot has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. We dwell in booths to remember how our ancestors lived in sukkot for 40 years in the desert. However, the Torah also refers to Sukkot as hag ha’asif, the Festival of the Ingathering. At this time of year in Israel, the harvest was ending and the final fruits and crops were gathered and stored. Sukkot is also known as z’man simhatenu, the time of our rejoicing, as our ancestors gave thanks for the conclusion of the harvest and the bounty of the land.
Attached below is this month’s E-Newsletter. If you would like to sponsor a KKJ E-Newsletter in Honor or in Memory of someone, please reach out to us at museum@kkjsm.org. We hope you enjoy this month’s E-Newsletter!
