This year, I had the chance to volunteer at our school’s Thanksgiving dinner with New Shiloh Baptist Church, and it was honestly one of the most wholesome experiences that I’ve had. Jewish Leadership Academy has been open in its current location for the past three years, and ever since we moved in, the local church has always been incredibly warm and welcoming. As a way of showing our appreciation, we hosted the second shared Thanksgiving dinner with them this year.

Twenty families from the school volunteered, and our head of school, Rabbi Perl, joined us as well. The church brought so many of their community members, including locals who attend their services, and even their choir. Right when the dinner started, Rabbi Perl welcomed everyone with a short speech, and then the serving began.

I was one of the students who volunteered to serve the food. Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I got a tiny glimpse of what the lunch staff at school experiences, but the best part was seeing everyone’s reactions. People walked up with so much warmth and gratitude, and the smiles on their faces made it feel bigger than just serving food.

Once everyone was served, we finally got to sit, eat, and talk. The time together was filled with comfortable conversations and a sense of togetherness. Afterward, Rabbi Perl gave another speech, followed by the pastor; both of them spoke so beautifully. Their speeches were also funny, where Rabbi Perl opened with Mary Had a Little Lamb, and Pastor Jackson Jr. opened with Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. The room roared with laughter, but their words were heartfelt and unifying. You could sense how much respect and appreciation existed between both communities.

Then the choir came up to sing, and that was honestly a highlight of the night. The entire room lit up. Families from our school, members of the church, students, and volunteers stood up together, clapping and singing along. At my table, we were dancing together; it felt so joyful, like everybody was coming together and enjoying themselves.

After the choir finished, everyone was invited to get dessert, mingle a bit longer, and head out whenever they felt ready. It was such a simple event, but the kindness and warmth in the room was so real. Watching everyone come together made the whole night feel meaningful in a way that’s hard to describe. I’m really glad I got to be part of it.