The Livingston Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration, a long-standing tradition in town, will be held at Trinity Church, 343 East Cedar Street, on Sunday, November 19, at 5 p.m. The theme this year is “Celebrate Community.”
Rabbi Simeon Cohen, Cantor Perry Fine, the Rev. Anne Weinberg, and Trinity Church music director Calvin Hitchcockhave “put together a wonderful program filled with music, heartfelt inspiration and a message of celebration as we welcome in the start of the holiday season,” noted Scott Maynard, who helps coordinate the service each year.
The program will include music from at least three choirs, including the Voices of Harmony Choir, along with inspirational presentations from many pastoral leaders and lay members from the majority of churches, synagogues and other religious institutions throughout Livingston.
“We have so much for which we can be thankful,” said Maynard. “We have made it to another year, to another Thanksgiving, a holiday we all can celebrate. It is truly a season of coming together.”
Maynard then related some history about the current iteration of the Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration. “When Livingston celebrated its Bicentennial in 2013, the Committee responsible for running the celebration discovered a small event that had been almost overlooked in past years. With the help of some funding for the celebration, a spectacular event was held at the former Temple (Continued on Page A-8) Emanu-El as a primary Bicentennial event. There were so many people in attendance; the temple building was filled to capacity, as were the parking lots of the temple and the adjacent Presbyterian Church.
“The massive turnout, as well as the fantastic comments heard from all who attended, created the momentum to make this special program a yearly event. In the past ten years, the Sunday before Thanksgiving has become a day to celebrate the official start of the holiday season.”
Non-perishable food items will be collected at the event in support of Livingston Ministries’ CHOW pantry and the Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors food pantry.
