Just last
weekend, we concluded a full year of celebrating our 150th
anniversary -- a year we marked with large, inclusive events and small, focused
programs. Many opportunities for our members to engage and re-engage in
positive, pleasurable and meaningful ways.
As we
commence our 151st year as a synagogue, Beth Israel is still the
largest and oldest synagogue in Southern California. We’re ready to start building our next 150
years together as the historic center
of Jewish life in San Diego. We’re
always striving to be an inclusive Reform congregation, and to offer a warm
welcome and a nurturing home to all who seek a meaningful and enduring
connection to Judaism.
And one of
the most enduring examples of the openness we value is this interfaith service;
a historic and enduring gathering now in its 32nd year. Thank you everyone from
First Church for joining us this evening at Beth Israel.
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And during the service, it was my privilege to read the Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation:
Presidential
Proclamation -- Thanksgiving Day, 2012
On
Thanksgiving Day, Americans everywhere gather with family and friends to
recount the joys and blessings of the past year. This day is a time to take
stock of the fortune we have known and the kindnesses we have shared, grateful
for the God-given bounty that enriches our lives. As many pause to lend a hand
to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion
and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our Nation since its earliest
days.
Many
Thanksgivings have offered opportunities to celebrate community during times of
hardship. When the Pilgrims at Plymouth
Colony gave thanks for a bountiful harvest nearly four centuries ago, they
enjoyed the fruits of their labor with the Wam-pa-no-ag
tribe -- a people who had shared vital knowledge of the land in the difficult
months before.
When President George Washington marked our
democracy's first Thanksgiving, he prayed to our Creator for peace, union, and
plenty through the trials that would surely come.
And when our
Nation was torn by bitterness and civil war, President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that we were, at heart, one
Nation, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not break.
Those
expressions of unity still echo today, whether in the contributions that
generations of Native Americans have
made to our country – the Union our forebears fought so hard to preserve – or
the providence that draws our families together this season.
As we
reflect on our proud heritage, let us also give thanks to those who honor it by
giving back. This Thanksgiving, thousands of our men and women in uniform will sit down for a meal far from their
loved ones and the comforts of home. We honor their service and sacrifice. We
also show our appreciation to Americans who are serving in their communities,
ensuring their neighbors have a hot meal and a place to stay. Their actions
reflect our age-old belief that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, and
they affirm once more that we are a people who draw our deepest strength not
from might or wealth, but from our bonds to each other.
On
Thanksgiving Day, individuals from all walks of life come together to celebrate
this most American tradition, grateful for the blessings of family, community,
and country. Let us spend this day by lifting up those we love, mindful of the
grace bestowed upon us by God and by all who have made our lives richer with
their presence.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by
the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim
Thursday, November 22, 2012, as a National
Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to join
together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any
place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- and give thanks for all we
have received in the past year, express appreciation to those whose lives
enrich our own, and share our bounty with others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
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