“Not just a cup, but a just cup” is the slogan of Thanksgiving Coffee, the company that roasts the beans for the Peace Kawomera Cooperative.  The co-op is a joint effort among Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Uganda.  This unique project not only fosters inter-religious tolerance, but also encourages sustainable farming practices and provides many Ugandan families with a living wage. 

Below is a video from an upcoming documentary on the cooperative which both tells the back story and gives some insight into how coffee is made- so sit back, have a cup ‘o joe, and enjoy!

Thanksgiving may not be a “Jewish” holiday, but it definitely has themes we can all relate to.  Be thankful for the things we have and the people in our lives resonates with people of all faiths and backgrounds.  This is a time, though, when we can take our thankfulness a step further and help out those who are still in need, just like we are taught in the following verse from the Torah:

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.”

– Leviticus 19:9-10

We’re all thinking about the tasty meal awaiting us for Thanksgiving dinner, so why not also take this time to help get food to others? Check out what Mazon or, more locally, the Ark are doing.  If Israel is more up your alley, Meir Panim is a great organization responding to community hunger needs.

As one blogger writes, “Thanksgiving..is about general thankfulness and eating a turkey. And Jews can get into that.”
Happy Thanksgiving!