In Tel Aviv, displaced families bring Israeli flavor to American-style Thanksgiving
Local Orthodox Union-affiliated group matches Gaza-area evacuee families with English-speaking immigrants for the festival of gratitude. ToI joined the Weinsteins and Dahans
Gavriel Fiske is a reporter at The Times of Israel
In the heart of Tel Aviv, on a side street apartment near the big beachfront hotels and not far from the American embassy, Meir Dahan, a gregarious and talkative young grandfather from Sderot, was back in his element.
Dahan was thrilled to be manning the barbecue, serving up delicious treats for a gathering of his family and friends — something he used to do regularly back in his old life before the Israel-Hamas war.
As he brought more grilled meats to the table, his wife Yehudit explained that the entire Dahan family, 10 people in all, has been living in one of the nearby hotels since they were evacuated from Sderot shortly after the Hamas massacres of October 7, and this was the first time they had been able to cook a real meal together.
The Wednesday get-together, held in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, took place at the home of Sam and Stephanie Weinstein, recent immigrants from the United States. It was organized by JLIC-TLV — Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus Tel Aviv — a branch of the Orthodox Union’s university outreach program. In this case, the group was focusing on English-speaking olim (new immigrants) in Tel Aviv who are starting families and their professional careers.
“We shopped, came and cooked everything, our hosts didn’t do a thing,” Yehudit told The Times of Israel, showing off the crowded table laden with different salads, meats, pitas and drinks.
Some of those present, she said, weren’t ready for her Moroccan-style spicy fish dishes, so instead they made “Israeli style” food for their American friends on their “Chag Hahodiah” (literally “Holiday of Thanks”), as Thanksgiving is known in Israel.
Above the table was a giant American flag, with the words “To the members of the JLIC, have a happy Thanksgiving, the Dahan family Sderot,” which the family had brought for their hosts.
JLIC-TLV arranged informal Thanksgiving dinner events that took place over several days this week in various homes in Tel Aviv, with about 120 participants in all. In addition, the group organized Thanksgiving-themed barbecues for several groups of IDF soldiers.
JLIC-TLV, whose members mostly attend the same synagogue in Tel Aviv, was already engaged in community outreach and volunteer work before the terrible events of the Hamas assault on October 7, which set off the current war. Since then, the group has been collecting donations and organizing its community of several hundred around various volunteer tracks in connection with the war.
One of the main JLIC-TLV initiatives is the “Family Match” program, which connects displaced families and individuals with local JLIC members.
“They have helped us so much,” said Matan, who is married to one of Meir and Yehudit Dahan’s daughters, in between bites. He was referring to the Weinstein family and another young American, Gila Bublick, who became the Dahan clan’s “sponsors” in Tel Aviv.
Since October 7, when Hamas terrorists stormed Israel’s borders and killed 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and took another 240 hostage, some 200,000 people living in communities around Gaza and along the northern border with Lebanon have been evacuated from their homes.
These internally displaced residents are now staying in hotels, kibbutzim and other locations throughout the country. The hotels in Tel Aviv are full of evacuees, most of whom arrived with just the shirts on their backs and a minimum of possessions.
As neighbors came in and out, host Sam Weinstein told this reporter that his family has benefited greatly from contact with the Dahans. “These guys are amazing,” he said, adding that being close to “such a warm family” has helped the Weinsteins learn about Israeli culture and society in ways they wouldn’t normally have been able to.
Their interactions have taken many different forms, from teaching English and providing material goods to going on walks and just lending an ear. “The goal is to make them feel welcome,” he said, adding that the JLIC refers to the evacuees as “guests,” not refugees or displaced.
As the meal progressed, Meir Dahan took a break from the barbecue and called for a toast. “It’s emotional to be in Tel Aviv. We met a wonderful family, the hosts. And the organization… I want to say, we are blessed by America, the second family of Israel. Whatever you need, America, we are on your side, you are like family to us. L’Chaim!”
“Let’s bless our soldiers to return to their homes, that all the hostages will return, and a quick healing for the wounded,” Yehudit Dahan added. “For those of us, the families [from the Gaza area], we need a lot of patience… we want national resilience, security, we want to return to our houses, but we have to stand behind the IDF, it’s not the time for criticizing.”
In the months before the war’s outbreak, Israel was in a time of political turmoil as the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed through a controversial judicial overhaul, which was met with immense opposition and massive, weekly protests. This conflict was sometimes framed as a contest between Tel Aviv liberal, Ashkenazi elites and the more conservative, Mizrahi (Middle Eastern Jewish) supporters of Netanyahu, many of whom live in peripheral areas such as Sderot.
“I am immensely bullish on this, I think this interaction is saving Israel, it’s a natural experiment which no one would have expected,” Rabbi Joe Wolfson told The Times of Israel by phone, referring to the fraternization going on throughout the country as citizens band together to help those in need.
Wolfson, along with his wife Corinne Shmuel, are co-directors of JLIC-TLV and oversee their volunteer programs, which include helping evacuees with job placement, kids’ activities, procuring clothing and other necessities, and much more.
Referring to billboards taken out in Tel Aviv by the Sderot municipality which read, “Our hearts are in Sderot, we are in Tel Aviv, thank you for hosting us, together we will triumph,” Wolfson said it’s like the equivalent of “deep red rural Texans, millions of people, being displaced to Manhattan and Boston, and taking out big posters saying ‘Texas loves New York.’”
“All of that conflict disappears when you are meeting people and find out they are nice and have interactions,” he added.
It was Wolfson who had the idea for the Thanksgiving events.
“Obviously Thanksgiving should be a part of the Family Match program… remember these are people who have been living in hotels, they haven’t been in a home [for some time]. There is something I found immensely moving in the potential of a Moroccan family from Sderot who has never heard of Thanksgiving enjoying it with a family from the States,” he said.
Back at the Weinstein and Dahan gathering, the hosts were passing out sheets for each participant to list “What am I thankful for?” – a traditional ritual for many on the Thanksgiving holiday. Meir was grilling steaks while the children played on the couch and the adults continued their different conversations.
“From the moment we met you, it’s been amazing,” Yehudit said, speaking to the Weinsteins and Bublick.
“Sam, we want one of your brothers to marry our daughter,” she added, as Meir yelled from the BBQ, “We want the wedding to be tomorrow!”
