Looking to show how people of different faiths can be connected through Thanksgiving, Temple Tikvah hosted its annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Sunday, bringing together leaders of Jewish, Christian, Muslim,Buddhist and Hindu faiths.
“We are joined together here to awaken ourselves to happiness and to kindness,” Rabbi Randy Sheinberg of Temple Tikvah said. “To awaken our sense of gratitude, to join together and share the common sense of Thanksgiving, common to both America and the season and common to many of our faith traditions.”
The service brought together the sounds and customs of the different faiths.
Sheinberg began the service introducing participants. Included were Rev. Henna Hahn of the Hillside United Methodist Church, Rathi Raja of the Arsha Vedanta Center, Richard Rocco of the Stony Brook University Buddhist Study and Practice group, Ahmad Naeem of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Deacon Lachlin Cameron of the Holy Spirit Church of New Hyde Park, and Rabbi Todd Chizner of Temple Judea of Manhasset.
Temple Tikvah’s cantor Guy Bonne led the Temple’s choir as they sang a rendition of Hodu L’Adonai, which means let us give thanks.
Rev. Henna Hahn of Hillside United Methodist Church presented a Korean gong, which represented part of her culture, and said how everyone has different beliefs but are united in giving thanks.
“We have different languages, culture, religion, and race, and different many kinds of things, but with Thanksgiving we will worship together, work together and lead together in the same community,” Hahn said. “How wonderful this is that we are together. Let us worship God, give him many thanks and let him bring something into our lives now and forever.”
Lachlin of Holy Spirit Church of New Hyde Park provided a prayer of the seasons that related to Thanksgiving.
“As we remember this Thanksgiving season and give thanks for all we have, we remember those who are much, much less fortunate than we are,” Cameron said.
Stony Brook’s Richard Rocco led the service in meditation, reading passages of thanks as asking the audience members to close their eyes and “try to absorb the words and essence.”
“We are who we are and have what we have largely because of the support we have received from so many people starting with our parents,” he said. “We give thanks to those who have helped us.”
Audience members later join in to read passages from the events program.
Naeem of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said that in the Islamic faith, giving thanks to God is one of great importance.
“Giving thanks in our tradition, the Islamic tradition is the highest form of worship,” said Naeem. “We start with the praise of God and then we do our duty to God. Do your duty to God, be mindful of God, and therefore you may be able to render thanks.”
Joining the service for the first time was Rabbi Todd Chizner Temple Judea of Manhasset.
“This gathering of different branches of the same tree, and is exactly the way I believe we need all look at what this is about today and everyday going forward, Chizner said. “As we this microcosm of different faiths representing maybe much of the world, I ask us a simple question: what are you most thankful for? Here is the truth of all the great faiths of the world, is that we understand that we are thankful for the same things. We are all appreciative for the gifts of life, for family, for friends, for health, and for the ability to join together in solemn prayer and meditation.”
Rathi Raja of the Arsha Vedanta Center has been participating in the service for the last eight years, and shared with the audience a mantra chant.
“In my tradition this creation is a manifestation of the omnipotent, and every aspect of is considered a deity, Raja said. “I am going to chant a Shanti Mantra. Shanti Mantras are a body of mantras that reflect some of the deepest yearnings of man, and his or her relationship with the lord. This mantra breaks it down, gives us an opportunity to give thanks to this cosmos. “A mantra is one that which protects us and reflects our gratitude. Sometimes what prevents us from experiencing that deep sense of gratitude is fear.”
“May the sun deity give us auspiciousness and bless us,” Raja said as she translated part of her chant. “May the ocean deity bless us. May the lord of the maze bless us. May the truth protect the teacher, may the truth protect me, and may the truth protect the teacher.”
The last musical performance was by the Temple Tikvah Mitzvah Choir singing “We Are The World, and the event wrapped up by a both choirs and audience members joining together in singing “America the Beautiful.”
Great Neck resident Andrew Nadler, who has been coming to the service for the last two years, said he enjoued the service.
“It’s always good to see so many types of faiths here and so many optimistic people,” Nadler said. “It’s what you don’t see nowadays.”
