Happy Thanksgiving
Author: Avital O’Glasser, MD
Keywords: tradition, history, ancestors, genealogy, holidays
Growing up, Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays--in part for the food, in part for the time with family, and in part for the long weekend from school. However, as I grew older, I came to realize how special the day was because of the important family traditions it embodied & was infused with. More about that in a minute, but first, some additional childhood reflections…
One of my favorite Thanksgiving books is “Molly’s Pilgrim”. If it's not widely circulated, it deserves more attention. It details the story of a young Jewish immigrant in the early 1900s, struggling to adjust to her first year in America as Thanksgiving approaches. The school taunting becomes worse when her contribution to the class Thanksgiving project (to make a pilgrim doll) looks more like a Russian refugee than a Mayflower Pilgrim. Her sympathetic teacher uses this opportunity to teach the definition of a pilgrim, especially one who escaped religious persecution, and credits the Jewish harvest festival origins of the holiday.
The teacher’s core lesson? The non-Mayflower pilgrim was a reminder that “Pilgrims are still coming to America”.
Another beautiful children’s book exploring the connection between Thanksgiving and Judaism through the lens of the immigrant experience sit on my home bookshelves--"Rivka’s First Thanksgiving". In this book, a young Jewish immigrant (also ~1900) struggles to explain to her family why their first Thanksgiving CAN be a holiday for them if it’s origins are in the Pilgrim/Native American story:
“It’s true, Mama. Miss Broderick said Thanksgiving is a national holiday. For everybody.”
“But it can’t be for us,” Bubbeh said, “It’s not for Jews, or we would know about it.”
“Thanksgiving is for all Americans, Bubbeh. Aren’t we Americans, too?”
The girl is taken to see the Rabbi, to whom she explains that Jewish immigrants had every right to be thankful in America:
“And you believe [we] have much for which to be thankful?”
“Yes! Oh Yes, Rabbi. Here in America we do. In parts of Europe, terrible things happen to Jews Every day--riots and pogroms. My father told me of the horrible things that are happening there right now. But here we are safe.”
When the Rabbi decides Thanksgiving is not a celebration for Jews, Rivka protests further. The Rabbi finally agrees with her,, and Rivka celebrates her first Thanksgiving as an American Jewish refugee/pilgrim at a table laid out with the family’s finest dishes.
That could have been my family. That WAS my family—and it created their approach to Thanksgiving. Multiple branches of my family were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who fled religious persecution in the late 1800s.
My grandfather shared that Thanksgiving was a solemn special holiday, treated like a “Yom Tov,” growing up. The best linens & china were on the table, everyone dressed in their synagogue best. In our household, Thanksgiving is also a day to reflect on the political and cultural discourse about immigrants and refugees, which feels crucial now more than ever. Thanksgiving for me embodies my thankfulness that multiple ancestors took the chance on something better, something SAFER for their families. I also especially think of my women ancestors--did they think their great-great-granddaughters would be physicians or other professionals? Are we making them proud?
So I hope that however you observe Thanksgiving tomorrow, whatever you express your thankfulness for, I hope you also remember the byline of "Molly's Pilgrim"..."It takes all kind of Pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving".
About the Author: Avital O’Glasser, MD, is a hospitalist at Oregon Health & Science University and the editor of the WIMS blog (Twitter: @aoglasser).
