From the Global Front in Israel

November 21 – 27, 2025

Thanksgiving – The Jewish Way

While preparing for this week’s dispatch, and thinking about tonight’s Thanksgiving feast with Seth Frantzman and friends in Jerusalem, I came across a compelling blog published in Times Of Israel. The author, Nitzan Bergman, titled it, Thanksgiving – The Jewish Way. (Link: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/thanksgiving-the-jewish-way/ )

What is the Jewish way for Thanksgiving? To answer that question, Nitzan pointed to this week’s Torah portion, called the Parsha. In case you don’t know, Jews around the world read through the entire five books of Moses every year. Progressing from Genesis to Deuteronomy, every synagogue in the world reads and considers a section, a parsha.

This week’s parsha is Genesis 28:10 - 32:3. It covers Jacob’s dream of a ladder, his travel to Laban’s home, his marriages to Leah and Rachel (and all the messy, soap opera drama that ensued), the births of his twelve children and his departure from Laban’s home.

What does any of it have to do with Thanksgiving?