Erev Thanksgiving raises powerful memories for me. It is the anniversary of my family's migration from E.201st in the Bronx to our suburban home. My sister and I spent the prior night with our grandparents and we each brought a box of Drakes cakes to school the next day to celebrate and commemorate our departure. Ring Dings for me, Yodels for my sister. The aluminum foil that enclosed each snack in those days was a source of artistic innovation. We molded the wrapping into animal shapes, and little balls, ripe for
table entertainment. I remember feeling sad by our leaving and my mother crying from the quiet at night time without the bustle of the borough. Despite the uncertainty, a new home in a new neighborhood offered an opportunity for blessing and thanksgiving. Today, those memories still connect me to experiences of the past while propelling me towards the future. Some days every blessing feels miraculous. The opportunity to say amen to another's bracha - on zoom and in person - is just as filled with potential as my own blessing.
The close proximity of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah this year (we light the 1st candle Sunday night) reminds me of the connection between gratitude and the miraculous. In our second Hanukkah blessing, most of us thank the holy one for the miracles performed in the time of our ancestors (referring to the origins of Hanukkah) at this season. You can find that version of the blessing HERE - ... she'asah nisim lavoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh. There is another version of this blessing from as far back as the earliest siddurim/prayer books like that of Seder Rav Amram (9thc.) and the Mahzor Vitry (12thc.). The addition of one letter changes the message of the blessing - ...she'asah nisim lavoteinu bayamim hahem Uvazman hazeh. This version thanks Gd for the miracles performed in the time of our ancestors AND in our own times. This second formulation - found HERE (also on p.429 in our Siddur Lev Shalem) - reminds us both of our historical connection with the story of Hanukkah and that we are the recipients, and perhaps the creators, of real time miracles experienced in opportunity and potential.
Add a little light to your Thanksgiving this year by counting your blessings and embracing a hopeful outlook. And give some thought to the blessings you'll offer over your Hanukkah Menorah. Maybe even write your own. So long as we bring the light, literally and figuratively, we can transform an uncertain future into a blessed path. May the blessings of your Thanksgiving table and those of your Hanukkah celebration create the miraculous sparks we need this year.
In light, blessing and thanksgiving, rg
Congregation Habonim 103 West End Ave New York, NY 10023
