Giving Thanks

Stand for Israel  |  November 24, 2023

As our friends in America celebrate Thanksgiving and give thanks to God for all that He has given us, let us all, as people of faith, take this time to show gratitude for His many blessings. And let’s remember the words of Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein:

Though Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Israel, its theme is woven throughout Jewish life and holidays. During Hanukkah, which we will observe next month, we remember with a thankful heart God’s gift of a flask of oil that miraculously lasted eight days. On Purim, giving thanks to God is central to the joyous celebration of the Jews’ victory over the evil Haman. On Passover, our hearts are filled with gratitude when we remember how God delivered our ancestors from captivity in Egypt.

I am also reminded of this spirit of thanksgiving whenever I visit our Fellowship-sponsored programs in Israel and hear heartfelt expressions of gratitude from Israel’s needy people for the help they are receiving. Through your generosity, Jews have been brought to their biblical homeland, hungry Jews have been fed, Jewish orphans have been given safe, comfortable places to live, elderly Holocaust survivors have been given hope and dignity … and so much more…

We wish all our friends in America a very happy Thanksgiving, and we hope everyone finds time to show gratitude for God’s many blessings on us all.