In October 1863, in the midst of our nation’s bloodiest war, President Abraham Lincoln officially declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be observed on the fourth Thursday of November in perpetuity.

Even in a time of profound darkness, we were invited as a nation to give thanks for the blessings that we continued to experience.

Our own Jewish tradition is filled with exhortations to gratitude, many arising in times of challenge and hardship. One of the most dramatic examples can be found in the book of Lamentations, written shortly after the destruction of the First Temple. Jerusalem lay in ruins, thousands of our ancestors had been brutally murdered, and tens of thousands were taken captive to Babylon. Yet, in this horrific moment, the author of Lamentations writes:

“But this do I call to mind, therefore I have hope:
The kindness of the ETERNAL has not ended,
God’s mercies are not spent.
They are renewed every morning—overflowing is Your faithfulness!”

(Lamentations 3:21–23)

The streets of Jerusalem flowed with the blood of the innocent and yet the author of Lamentations reflects on God’s abundant kindness.

What a powerful lesson for us today for we, too, are in a moment of loss and pain. One hundred and one hostages remain in captivity. Tens of thousands of Israelis are displaced, waiting to return to their homes in the north and in the Gaza envelope. Reserve soldiers are exhausted. Families continue to mourn. An entire nation faces the risk of collective PTSD. We mourn the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogen and fear for the safety of Jewish communities around the world. Here at home, we are coming to terms with the painful realization that the sense of safety and freedom from antisemitism we once knew is no longer assured.

And yet, despite these painful realities, there is still so much for which to give thanks.

So let us call this to mind, that we may continue to hope and give thanks:

Our community is strong. Our tradition overflows with wisdom to help us navigate these painful moments. And perhaps most profoundly, today is another day—one that was not promised to us. Each sunrise is a moment of renewal, a concrete reminder of God’s abiding goodness.

I am deeply grateful for our extraordinary, generous, and supportive community; a community that creates meaning and brings change to the world, day after day.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Thanksgiving,

—Rabbi Yoshi