For the season of thanks and giving, we share a few words and images of food and fellowship, agreement and abundance, gathering and gratitude and giving back, from our community with love.
“People sitting down on a table and eating and breaking bread, I think they find similarities. And they forget about the things they don’t agree on. But when you come to the table and eat, you find so many things that you do agree on, especially good food!…To me, this is what America’s about. Different peoples of different faiths, different religions, different colors, coming together.” – Adam Itayem, halal caterer for the Heartsong United Methodist Church/Memphis Islamic Center (MIC) annual Thanksgiving dinner, owner of Tom’s Barbecue & Deli, and member of MIC.
“I would say that the biggest thing I’ve learned is to always make people feel like somebody. Encourage somebody whether it’s with a word, with a handshake, with a smile, and always give back.” – Brian Harris, manager of Apple Saddle Creek, life-long friend of Jim and Samella’s House Restaurant owner, Talbert Fleming, and volunteer at the restaurant’s Thanksgiving soul food feast for its neighbors in need.
“Thanksgiving is a holiday that I can embrace fully and wholeheartedly and feel so connected to my fellow Americans. The word Jewish comes from the word ‘Yehuda’ or ‘Judah’ and that word means ‘thank you.’ That’s what the word means. So, at the core, at its essence, to be Jewish is to be thankful.” – Rabbi Feivel Strauss, Senior Education Rabbi, Temple Israel, and member of the clergy planning team for the annual Memphis Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, which has brought people of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths together for almost 20 years.
“We are not all the same. We come from quite different backgrounds, but we can all gather around one common table. And we can all give thanks for God’s abundance because that is something that we all share.” – Rev. Hester Mathes, Associate Rector, Church of the Holy Communion, and member of the clergy planning team for the Memphis Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.
These words are accompanied by images from the gatherings mentioned above as well as: a holiday dinner for Room in the Inn guests at Freedom’s Chapel Christian Church DOC; Downtown Church’s annual Thanksgiving feast at Advance Memphis; customers and volunteer waitresses at the 89-year-old Waffle Shop at Calvary Episcopal Church; and the 10th annual Memphis Interfaith dinner which brings people of all faiths together to break bread during Ramadan.
