Re: Celebrating American holidays

Michael J Broyde (mbroyde@emory.edu)
Wed, 29 Oct 1997 22:34:23 -0500 (EST)

IMCBN@aol.com wrote:
<<To the list of prominent Rabbonim disapproving of the celebration of
Thanksgiving Day I might add Rav Eliezer Silver who, citing the verse "Al
Tismach Yisrael BeGil Co-Amim" - 'Do not rejoice Israel, as the nations'
(Hoshea 9:1), was even reluctant to attend Agudah conventions held over the
Thanksgiving Day weekend, lest his presence be construed as sanctioning
such celebration.>>

I am uncertain if this recounting of Rabbi Silver's position is agreed to
by all. At one time I wrote to various halachic authorities about
celebrating Thanksgiving and collected the published teshuvot I was aware
of on this topic. Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt (author of the Rivavot Efraim)
wrote to me that he spoke to Rabbi Silver, who told Rabbi Greenblatt that
eating turkey on Thanksgiving was permitted. Although I do not have my
files in front of me, I am nearly certain that he wrote this fact to me in
a letter as well. (My article surveying the various poskim's opinion on
this topic , can be found in volume 30 of the Journal of Halacha and
Contemporary Society).

Michael Broyde