God’s Providence and the United States

A miracle occurred, and they were able to light from the flask of oil for eight days. The next year, they established and made it a holiday, with thanksgiving and praise.

–Shabbat 21b

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—that we may then all unite in him our sincere and humble thanks…

–George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789

Introduction

Much has been made in the media of the fact that the American holiday of Thanksgiving occurs this year on what is, for Jews, the first day of Chanukah. While this has provided much fodder for humorous remarks about “Thanksgivikah,” in fact, the convergence of calendars ought to inspire us to ponder how the Jewish penchant for expressing thanks and gratitude to God may have impacted America millennia later. As millions of Americans prepare to observe Thanksgiving, The Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought presents this essay, and the sources that follow, to help provide a framework for reflecting on the American holiday that is upon us, and on the Jewish ideas that may have inspired it.

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