| This past Sunday, Temple Beth Sholom hosted our second Interfaith Thanksgiving Service since I began serving as Senior Rabbi. I started planning this special gathering in August, bringing together fellow clergy, cantors, and choir directors from Santa Ana, Orange, and Tustin neighborhoods. It is no small feat to organize multiple choirs, speakers, and all of the details involved, making sure that everyone felt equally engaged. Despite the fact that we could not find a date that worked for all faith groups, we still had a wonderful diversity of representation: Muslim, Jewish, Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ, First Christian Church: Disciples of Christ, Unity Church, UCC, The Fish Interfaith Chapel of Chapman University, and others. We included a special component for youth and joined our voices together with a combined interfaith choir. As always, we shared our blessings with those less fortunate by collecting donations of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
As people kept streaming into the Living Room, and we had to open the back wall of the sanctuary to add more chairs, our hearts were full. It was a profound honor to stand together with people of many faiths, united in community, blessing, gratitude, and hope. Those who attended shared that the evening was beautiful and poignant beyond description and everyone lingered over the lavish festive reception.
As we approach our celebrations of Thanksgiving this coming Thursday, I share my message that I delivered on Sunday to our interfaith family. It is a universal message that speaks to the truths of the holiday and the ideals toward which we should strive.
“Tonight, we lift our hearts to the words of Psalm 118: "Hodu l’Adonai ki tov, ki l’olam chasdo." “Give thanks to the Eternal, for God is good; God’s love endures forever.”
These ancient words remind us of a truth shared by so many of our traditions: that gratitude is not only an emotion—it is a spiritual practice. To give thanks is to pause and recognize that, even in moments of challenge, there is goodness in the world, and there is a source of love and mercy that sustains us.
The phrase ki l’olam chasdo—God’s love endures forever—is particularly meaningful when we gather [with our friends and loved ones] for Thanksgiving as an interfaith community. It points to the boundlessness of divine love: a love that transcends boundaries, religions, and cultures. It calls us to see one another not as strangers, but as reflections of God’s image, worthy of dignity and compassion. In Judaism, chesed—loving-kindness—is not merely a feeling but a call to action. It is the foundation of how we interact with one another, encouraging us to reflect the divine goodness in our relationships and our world.
Across all our traditions, there is a deep understanding that gratitude is transformative. To give thanks is to affirm that goodness exists, even in challenging times. It reminds us to focus not only on what divides us but on what unites us: our shared commitment to love, justice, and hope.
We live in a world where divisiveness too often steals the spotlight. But tonight, we choose a different path. By coming together, sharing prayers, and breaking bread, we affirm that the enduring love of the Divine flows through our collective acts of kindness.
Psalm 118 is traditionally recited during times of celebration, but its message is also one of resilience. It reminds us to give thanks even when life feels uncertain, for gratitude has the power to shift our perspective, strengthen our faith, and connect us to one another.
So let us embrace this moment of togetherness, inspired by the psalmist's call to gratitude. Let us offer thanks for the blessings of community, the courage to face difficulties, and the hope that, together, we can build a world grounded in justice and peace.
Let us go forth remembering this: Hodu l’Adonai ki tov. God's love endures forever—and through that love, so can we.”
Wishing you and your loved ones a Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, hope, and the blessings of interconnection.
Shabbat Shalom!
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