An Orthodox Jewish Rabbi gave a history lesson this year, to multiple Jewish organizations, on why Jews “should” be celebrating “Thanksgiving.” That it, too, is inherently an American Jewish holiday, as well. He pointed out George Washington’s defense of the Jews right to be equal citizens in the USA, and how Jews were fundamental in the creating of this nation that “blesses” them. But, here’s the rub to his history lesson effort – it was completely blind to all who “Thanksgiving” did not include. Thus, he basically taught that Jews are white people, too. I’m sure he did not intend to teach this! But, his words of historical one-side-ness amounted to such, nevertheless.
I had to respond, even though I knew it very unlikely that any would listen (and zero reactions to my comment have so far confirmed this). I responded with the following:
“Let us not forget that Jewish freedom in the United States was at the expense of black and brown lives across this Christian Colonized land. Let us not forget that Judah Philip Benjamin, Attorney General for the Confederate Republic, was the most significant Jewish political figure in 19th century USA. He was called the “brains” of the pro-slavery Confederacy, for his legal expertise to the slaveowners’ cause.
I don’t know if I can be “thankful” on this day as a U.S. history conscious Jew! Maybe, as Jews, we should be questioning our participation in this national holiday, *until* every minority group is structurally included into this white people’s society and allowed equal seating at the table of prosperity – for which we are supposed to give “thanks.” ”
On my personal page, my post for Thanksgiving day was the following:
“For those who think (or have been taught) that “Thanksgiving is not inherently religious in its nature,” this is NOT true:
Thanksgiving is *rooted* in white Pilgrim Christianity’s claim of possession of this colonized land. The Pilgrims gave thanks in harvest festival celebration to the Christian “God” for having rid the “savages” from the land, to bless them and their white posterity with this “Zion” of land.
President George Washington established the annual festival as a national holiday for giving thanks to the Christian god for all the white man’s blessings – which included the remaining First Peoples removed to reservations, and enslaved Africans on the farms and in the homes of white landowners, being worked like cattle and treated as less valuable than cattle.
Whitewashing history is a sinful white thang to do! Stop it, already!”
Why do I sometimes take such a blunt stance as this? Because as Jews, whether religious or not, we cannot *afford* to be colorblind, like white Christian society around us. Jews come in all colors and looks and, historically, Jews were the first to be ghettoized by white societies in this world. There is a *price* to history, therefore there is too much at stake to *not* be always on the side of the victimized, especially when we benefit from the blessings of power (like white presenting USA Jews). …
No, I’m not going to get into a discussion of Israel, next, though I recognize some parallels. The history of the Middle East is not something that we can afford to be ignorant on the details, either. There is an Islamic form of Christian fundamentalism that seeks the same ultimate goal and uses ignorance as its weapon (like Christians here in the USA). Hence, I stand for two nations, both free upon one homeland, a Confederation. But, that’s there, and the issue of this quite religious “Thanksgiving” holiday is here.
יוסף פרקשדי
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