Yes, yes, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon and am trying to blend Thanksgiving and Hanukkah into one word: Thanksgivukkah.

Well, it won’t happen again – at least not for about 70,000 years — so we might as well embrace it, right?

Aside from serving traditional Thanksgiving foods with latkes, and perhaps lighting the menorah before serving the pumpkin pie, how will you make this holiday special? Here at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ (JCF), we’ve been collecting ideas from friends and colleagues across the country. Here are some of our favorite suggestions:

1.     Decorate the Thanksgivukkah table with inspirational quotes. Simply print quotes related to the holiday, feelings of gratitude, reasons for giving back, etc. Ask everyone to choose their favorite quote and share with family and friends, why they like it best.

2.     Share the Umbrella Story and discuss. What would you have done? Should philanthropy be strategic, immediate, both?

3.     Instead of a Gingerbread house, why not assemble a Hanukkah house? (Friends tell me that Pinterest is great for these things). Build it around a clean, empty jar and it can double as a tzedakah box to be used all year long.

4.     Play the “Talk about Giving” Game, developed by our friends at the Central Carolina Community Foundation.

How will you celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime convergence of American and Jewish holidays? Please let us know, as we’re always looking for fresh ideas for engaging families in Jewish philanthropy. 

Thanks to the following for their suggestions: Mollie Bunis, Strategic Philanthropy, Ltd.; Bruce DeBoskey, The DeBoskey Group; and Heather Sherwin, Central Carolina Community Foundation

Eileen Heltzer is development officer at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ

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Originally posted November 20, 2013