I try to remind myself that every breath is a miracle. Every morning when we wake up, we're supposed to thank G-d that He returned our soul. Accidents happen, even fatal tragic ones, for "no logical reason." I really do try to remember that G-d controls these "little things."
The United States has a holiday, Thanksgiving, when it's traditional to gather with family and friends for a large meal, to thank G-d for the survival of the pilgrims, colonizers, invaders.
As I remember learning, the early pilgrims were grateful to have survived the bitter conditions in the "new world" and established the holiday. There's a myth that they feasted with local indians. I don't know what's taught today in American schools, since there's more sensitivity to the fact that the European pilgrims, settlers were racist colonizers. Don't choke on the turkey bones, but that's the truth.
Here in Shiloh, I feel totally at home, having returned to my, as a Jew, historic homeland. Honestly, I find it rather offensive to celebrate that immoral/racist American holiday in the Jewish Holy Land.
Sorry, this isn't the post I had planned on writing. The keys on the keyboard just kept pulling my fingers, and this is what came out.
4 comments:
Shalom!
The racist colonizers would have died if the Indians hadn't helped them. We see how they expressed their gratitude.
No doubt, but do they teach it in school?
Shalom!
In the lower grades we learned that the Pilgrims would have died had the Indians not provided them with basic supplies and showed them how to eat and plant the local foods. I'm not sure where I read about the lack of gratitude. I think it was in high school textbooks.
Hadassa, I also learned that story. I wonder what's taught today.
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