WATCH: How much do Israelis know about Thanksgiving?
Something about Pilgrims and a turkey, nachon?
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSTOM THE Turkey floats by Macy’s during New York City’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, spreading holiday cheer.(photo credit: AARON OF NEPA/FLICKR)
While Americans are busy getting the turkey in the oven and settling in to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the last Thursday of November is just another work day in Israel. So how much do Israelis actually know about what America is up to today? The Jewish Agency for Israel decided to find out.They started by presenting a group of willing Jerusalemites with an array of typical Thanksgiving foods. First up: sweet potato with torched marshmallows."This is disgusting" one girl ruled. But her comrades were open to persuasion: "That surprisingly goes well together," admitted one, while another named the combo "comfort food".The canned cranberry sauce didn't fare so well, provoking suspicious expressions all round, but that's maybe not surprising given the dubious esteem that Israelis seem to hold American cuisine in: asked to guess what Americans eat on Thanksgiving, answers included: "beans, because Americans love beans," and "beef with whipped cream."Their knowledge of the history of Thanksgiving wasn't much more accurate. The festival has "something to do with the Pilgrims," who came from "the cave" and "wanted to explore." They said that New England is "like England but better!" and "there was a lot of turkey" there. Also, the gold rush happened. The video was made by The Jewish Agency for Israel to bolster ties between Israeli Jews and their counterparts in America, by breaking down boundaries and sharing cultures."For 90 years, The Jewish Agency for Israel has worked to overcome the biggest challenges facing the Jewish people," the agency explained in a statement. "We founded and built the State of Israel, and we continue creating links globally—bringing Jews to Israel and Israel to Jews."Judging by the knowledge on display from this group of Israelis, they may have a some ways to go.
