From our nation’s earliest days, Thanksgiving has been more than a holiday—it has been a holy invitation. A call for each of us to pause, reflect, and acknowledge that every blessing we enjoy—our freedom, our families, our daily bread—flows from the gracious hand of our Almighty God.
Gratitude has always been woven into the fabric
of America’s story.
When George Washington took office as our first
president, he issued the nation’s very first presidential proclamation—not for
war, not for commerce, but for thanksgiving and prayer. In that 1789
declaration, Washington urged the people to unite in giving thanks:
“… that we may then all unite in rendering unto
Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the
people of this country …”
In those simple yet powerful words, President
Washington recognized that the birth of a nation—and the preservation of its
liberty—was possible thanks to God’s providence.
Decades later, when America was torn apart by
civil war, President Abraham Lincoln also turned the nation’s eyes heavenward.
His 1863 proclamation—issued in the midst of unimaginable suffering—called the
American people to give thanks and to seek the healing hand of God:
“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens … to
set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of
Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens …
to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it to the full enjoyment of peace,
harmony, tranquility, and Union.”
Separated by nearly a century, Washington and
Lincoln shared a common revelation: true thanksgiving is not dependent on peace
or prosperity—it is born in the recognition that God sustains us. Whether in
abundance or adversity, gratitude turns our hearts toward the One who holds our
future.
Thanksgiving
is not merely a once-a-year observance—it’s a posture of the heart. It’s how we
approach God in prayer and how we remain anchored in faith. Every weekday
morning we recite Psalm 100. “A
psalm of Thanksgiving. Raise a shout for the Lord, all the earth; worship the Lord
in gladness; come into His presence with shouts of joy. Acknowledge that the Lord
is God. He made us and we are His, His people, the flock He tends.” (vs. 1-3)
When gratitude fills our prayers, peace fills
our hearts. Thanksgiving reminds us that every answered prayer, every breath of
hope, every act of mercy is a testimony of God’s unfailing goodness.
I pray that this Thanksgiving you are surrounded
by loved ones and laughter. May this Thanksgiving be more than a meal or a
moment—may it be a renewal of our relationship with the Lord who has guided us,
protected us, and blessed us from generation to generation.
From my family to yours, may your heart be full,
your home be peaceful, and your spirit overflow with gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rabbi Greene
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