Jenny Williams's Reviews > Rivka's First Thanksgiving

This is a story of a Jewish girls discovery of Thanksgiving. Set in the 1910s this story shows a brave girl’s power to be able to show the Rabbi’s that Thanksgiving is a holiday for everyone and that Jews should celebrate it too. The story represents fear in the young girl when she goes before the Rabbi. Also, it shows her great understanding of the holiday and how she connects it to her family’s belief system.

This book portrays a young girl finding ways to incorporate the new culture in which she participates into her home Jewish culture. Through determination Rivka convinces the Rabbi to celebrate a new American Holiday. The author Elsa Rael is retelling her story of her first Thanksgiving that she celebrated with her family. This gives the reader a unique insight to the reality of someone having to fight to be able to celebrate a holiday that many take for granted.

Genre: Religion, Fiction, Holiday