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I recently gave a shiur to the Middle School Mishmar about the difference between Halloween, which is frowned upon halakhically, and Thanksgiving, which has halakhic blessing. In addition to some issues about the origins of the holidays, one of the key differences for the poskim lies in what the day stands for. Does the secular holiday promote and encourage values that are consistent with Jewish values?
In the case of Thanksgiving, the answer is a resounding yes. Hakarat Ha-Tov (being grateful and thankful) is an important and critical value in the Torah and recognizing the good that other people do for us helps us fulfill our own potential as Jews. Of course, this just makes it incumbent upon us to take the meaning of Thanksgiving seriously and to make sure that we express our gratitude, appreciation and thanks to whomever we can.
The Farber teachers would be a great place to start!! Day in and day out, they educate your children, care for your children, support them, guide them, and nurture them, from the littlest of our toddlers to the toughest of our 12th graders. They do it not for the glory, not for the fame and certainly not for the compensation, but because they love working with your children and seeing them grow.
I am grateful and appreciative of the dedication and commitment of our teachers and their devotion to their craft and to the school. They are awesome and they don’t get enough recognition for that.
I hope that you also can recognize how much our teachers deserve our thanks and gratitude. As we approach Thanksgiving, let’s all remember to thank a teacher…or two or three or ten. It is truly the least that we can do.
Wishing you a wonderful and deeply meaningful Thanksgiving.
Josh Levisohn
Head of School
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