Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on November 14, 2021

As we have emerged from dining room tables and prayer sanctuaries of the Jewish High Holy Days, November and Thanksgiving have arrived. One could think that after the 20-plus meals we enjoyed between Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, Thanksgiving may not be as exciting for us. Yet, it is.

During the High Holy Days, we spend hours and hours preparing by asking forgiveness of our fellow people, attending prayer services and enjoying meals with our family and friends in our communities. While one may take a moment in all of that to appreciate how fortunate they are, its not always possible to be that thoughtful.

Thanksgiving is when we can take that minute, look around us and take inventory on how lucky we are, what we can be thankful for, and express gratitude to the same people we asked for forgiveness.

In my case, I am grateful to be a part of a uniquely special community here in Houston at United Orthodox Synagogues. Our synagogue is defined by our community. It is not a function of the building we pray in or our leadership. Our community is defined by all of its people, and we all are a part of the fabric that makes it so special.

You may be asking yourself, what is so special about this community, and what is it that defines it as a core element for expression of thankfulness and gratitude?

When our family moved to Houston in 2013, we knew almost no one in town. We moved here for a variety of reasons, but we chose to live near UOS as we are raising our family to follow and value Modern Orthodox Judaism, and we felt that UOS would be most aligned with that plan.

We will never forget the first time we walked through the doors of UOS and were welcomed by the most friendly group of strangers we had ever encountered. That sense of warmth and friendliness has remained since then.

At the same time, the last few years have been rough for our community. We have had to cope with a series of floods that could have devastated a community; major decisions that could tear apart a community; and a slew of other challenges and events that could have torn apart any other community. And yet, we are still here.

So, while Im thankful to be a part of this amazing community, I am grateful that we all have stuck together and stayed at our shul, based on what I believe are our shared goals and ambitions for what UOS can truly be.

That is what Im grateful for. The ability for our community to stick together and work together, even when we do not agree on every decision that is made.

This unique fabric of people bound together by warmth is what is special about our community our genuine love and care for each other, which also allows us to stay together through thick and thin. After all, isnt that what makes people family?

However, sometimes we need to be reminded of why we are so fortunate to have what we have. And, that is a key purpose of celebrating Thanksgiving, so that we all can take a minute and remember what we are thankful for and realize how fortunate we are.

So, as youre wrapping up your Thanksgiving meals, freezing your leftovers and maybe loosening your belt by one more hole, I would like to invite you to join us at UOS for a Shabbat of Gratitude on the Shabbat after Thanksgiving (Nov. 26-27) after celebrating what you are thankful for.

Sure, there will be food, but mainly our goal is to feed your spiritual appetite with a Shabbat of music, singing, learning and, yes, some eating. If youd like to join any of the events we have planned, please register at uosh.org.

Yosef Levenstein has been a member of UOS since 2013 and serves on its executive committee as vice president of Membership. For membership or services inquiries, email [emailprotected].

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Adding a layer of gratitude to our thankful pie with a Shabbat of Gratitude - Jewish Herald-Voice

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