Spotlight on CLAL
Welcome to Spotlight on CLAL. Here you will find stories about what is happening at CLAL and about the work that CLAL is doing across North America. Sometimes we will focus on a program, or a special event, or upon a CLAL faculty member's work and interests. Bookmark this page if you want to get to know us better.
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Thanksgiving: A Day Of Celebration, A Day Of Reflection
By Judy Epstein, Director of Public Affairs
This Thanksgiving, Americans around the country will sit down with their families at the dinner tables and give thanks for their good fortune. They’ll celebrate their blessings and the great gift of freedom in America.
But for some Americans, Thanksgiving is not a cause for celebration. It recalls a dark moment in our nation’s pre-history marked by exploitation and aggression. It evokes a painful time, both for the descendants of those mistreated by the builders of this nation, and for those who don’t yet fully share in the benefits of the American dream.
“Thanksgiving observance should celebrate both the unprecedented freedom and promise of American life, and acknowledge the shadow side of that experience, which still remains,” said Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, Vice President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. “We have to recognize that not everyone shares equally in the gifts of the American dream. But to use that awareness as a way of undermining the profound achievements and beauty of America would be a mistake.”
Rabbi Hirschfield pointed out that not since the Vietnam War has America exported its vision for a way of life so aggressively. “Our actions abroad demand that we ‘up the ante’ in our own country to ensure that we live up to our own high standards. If we are going to export freedom, pluralism, and democracy, we have to work that much harder to guarantee that everyone enjoys those things at home. The fact that life is already better here than it is in these troubled places is not an excuse to stop striving within our own borders.”
Rabbi Hirschfield suggests that this Thanksgiving we pause to remember both sides of the holiday story, as a way to move us forward. “If you are cynical about this country’s greatness and the story of its beginnings, reflect on its achievements and accomplishments. If you can only see the successes, take a moment to reflect on where we have fallen short in the past, where we need to do better in the present, and how we could improve in the future. We need to hold on to both stories as we consider our actions.”
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