Pilgrims and Judaism
As the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were mostly Puritans (a form of Protestantism), there were no Jews at the Pilgrims' 1621 harvest feast. However, the Pilgrims heavily identified with the Israelites in the Bible. The Pilgrims often compared their journey from England to the Americas to the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, likening the English king to pharaoh and the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. In Pilgrim theology, Pilgrims were viewed as entering into a new covenant with God and North America was framed as a new Promised Land. Many Pilgrims had Hebrew names and there were even proposals to adopt Hebrew as the new language of the Plymouth Colony.[1] The Pilgrims were not necessarily philosemitic, as many harbored anti-Jewish views and believed Jews needed to convert to Christianity.[2]
Because the Jewish holiday of Sukkot is a harvest festival, some have suggested that the Puritans may have modeled Thanksgiving after Sukkot.[3][4][5]
Halakha
There are different interpretations of Thanksgiving in regard to halakha (Jewish religious law). The three most common views are that Thanksgiving is permitted, that it is permitted with some limitations, or that it is forbidden. Most Jews, including most Orthodox Jews, do not view celebration of Thanksgiving as religiously problematic. The prohibition on Avodah Zarah is the prohibition on Jews imitating non-Jewish religious customs, which may be interpreted to prohibit Jewish celebration of Thanksgiving due to its Christian origins. However, many prominent Orthodox rabbis such as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein issued responsa ruling that Thanksgiving was a secular holiday and not a Christian holiday. Feinstein made four different responsa concerning Thanksgiving. In Feinstein's 1953 responsum he stated that "On the question of celebrating any event on a holiday of Gentiles, if the holiday is based on religious beliefs [by the Gentiles], such celebrations are prohibited if deliberately scheduled on that day; even without intent, it is prohibited because of marit ayin...The first day of year for them [January 1] and Thanksgiving is not prohibited according to law, but pious people [balai nephesh] should be strict." In another responsum in 1980, Feinstein stated that "it is clear that according to their religious law books this day is not mentioned as a religious holiday and that one is not obligated in a meal...and since this is a day of remembrance to citizens of this country, when they came to reside here either now or earlier, halakhah [Jewish law] sees no prohibition in celebrating with a meal or with the eating of turkey." However, Feinstein stated that Thanksgiving could not be celebrated as a religious obligation or mitzvah by Jews.[6]
The Orthodox rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik ruled that Jews could celebrate Thanksgiving and eat a Thanksgiving meal, as long as the food including the turkey was kosher.[6]
However, the Haredi rabbi Yitzchak Hutner ruled that celebrating Thanksgiving is prohibited as it is obviously a holiday based on the Christian calendar, stating that "In truth, one must distance oneself from these types of customs and even from those events that are similar to these types of customs...The truth is simple and obvious."[6]
