The Manchester Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, Nov. 23, was a great success on so many counts.

To see Jews, Christians and Muslims worshipping together was a thrill, especially in light of the violent intolerance we see today in so many parts of the world. Reading from the Koran, the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament – in English, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew – emphasized the point that gratitude to the Almighty for our blessings is a shared value we all cherish.

The success of the event was also evidenced in the outpouring of non-perishable food items that went to the MACC (Manchester Area Conference of Churches) Emergency Food Pantry and over $850 in cash collected for donation to MACC Human Services.

With over 250 people assembled for this event, after a hiatus of 15 years (no one seems to know for sure when we held the last such service), we demonstrated that a desire for such an event clearly exists in our community.

Many thanks to all who took the time to attend, those who worked on organizing the event, to the Beth Sholom B’nai Israel (BSBI) community for hosting and providing the home-baked refreshments, and to the singing groups from the Unitarian Meeting House and BSBI.

Rabbi Richard Plavin
Beth Sholom B’nai Israel
Manchester

CAP: At the Manchester Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service: (l to r) Rev. Paul Briggs, Rev. Joshua Pawlek, Fr. Henry Smolinski, Mayor Jay Moran, Rev. Scott Cady, Rabbi Richard Plavin, Fr. Stephen Sledesky, Imam Jubair Ahmed.