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November 16, 2001/Kislev 1, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 10
Ever more thankfulEditorialAutumnal gold, rust and brown comprise the traditional Thanksgiving palette, mirroring the changing leaves in wintry climes.In the Southwest, where beautiful blue skies and warm sunny days belie the approaching holiday season, orange pumpkins, green gourds and yellow Indian corn say Thanksgiving as much as turkey and stuffing. And this year three additional hues - red, white and blue - color the holiday, imbuing it with affecting significance. Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, which recalls the story of the Pilgrims, who journeyed to the New World in search of religious freedom and survived the rigors of building new lives in a new land, resonates with echoes of the ancient Jewish story of dispersion. So does the image of the first Thanksgiving feast, a consummate gesture of hospitality, when newcomers in stiff black and white sit down together with indigenous guests in feathers and loincloths, to share a bountiful meal. This year, as we gather with friends and family to give thanks for ideals we cherish and those we love, the pall of national tragedy lingers. The September terror attacks in New York and Washington, the threat of chemical and biological warfare, this week's air disaster over Queens have reminded us the world is not always a friendly place, that evil can lurk behind the next tree or in the next letter, that our neighbors and colleagues are not always our friends. While living in the wake of disaster makes us ever more vigilant, we also feel ever more thankful for the simple pleasures of daily life. We are reminded also of the comfort that comes from reaching out to one another, of the strength that comes from reasserting our allegiance to the values we hold dear, of the power that comes from committing to protect and preserve our good lives in this good land as did our forebears. So this Thanksgiving, let's decorate the house for fall. Let's roast, baste and bake to our heart's content. Like the Pilgrims and Indians, let's open our homes to old friends and new, and revel in the shared company. And let Old Glory fly. |
