Thanksgiving and Chanukah coincide this year. You may have already heard that. You may also have heard that according to the people who calculate such things, this event will happen again in 70,000 years, give or take. So for us it is safe to say Thanksgivukah is a once in a lifetime event. It is the first time the two holidays occur at the same time and, as much as I love my country, I am not sure if it will be around 700 centuries years from now for the next one. Thanksgivukah is a big deal if only because it likely will happen only this one time. Let us celebrate!
So break out the sweet potato latkes and the turkey menorahs with candles for tail feathers. I am sure that there are all kinds of tie-ins, dreidels and chocolate gelt meeting funny looking black hats (maybe no change there) along side pumpkin pie and turkey with dressing. And on the more serious side, there are the opportunities to learn and make meaningful connection; how do we as moderns understand the two holidays? How do we tell the intertwined story? How do we relate to the people both Native American and Pilgrim and their respective narratives from a Jewish point of view? What a special celebration this will be.
The thing of it is, each day of our lives is truly just like Thanksgivukah; a unique moment that is ours for as long as it lasts, and once gone, only a memory never to be relived but possibly recaptured as myth and retold because it was special. What if we greeted each day with such a profound sense of awe and anticipation? How much better might life be if we lived each day to its fullest?