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The service at Temple Beth-El gathers the faithful with music to offer thanks and remember the needy.
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 27, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG -- Tonight, representatives of the city's faith traditions will gather to give thanks and remember the needy.
This year's Interfaith Thanksgiving Service promises to be different -- and shorter -- than in the past, celebrating the holiday through the arts and focusing on the themes of freedom, family, health and abundance.
"We are trying to find a different way to capture people's attention and to offer a service of thanksgiving that will be meaningful and uplifting. We hope that people respond to the idea of a service expressed through the arts," said Rabbi Michael Torop of Temple Beth-El, where the gathering will be held.
"We've been doing the same thing for many years," said Jane Trocheck Walker, executive director of Daystar Life Center, a downtown agency that assists the needy.
"Maybe we can reach some more people. We want to include everybody in an artsy way and still meet our need and the community's need of coming together."
Tonight's hourlong service will feature several choirs, soloists and dancers. Among them will be Temple Beth-El's youth choir from its religious school, Kolot Noar, or the Voices of Youth. The theme of their performance will be thanksgiving for health.
"They are going to be singing a prayer, a healing prayer," Torop said.
"It's drawn from the Jewish liturgy for healing and it's a setting by a contemporary Jewish liturgical composer, Debbie Friedman."
Torop also will share a short healing parable and a modern poetic interpretation of one of the Psalms.
The Rev. Gustave Victor, president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, has organized singers and dancers from various churches who will focus on the theme of freedom.
Victor said youth groups from his congregation, Dominion Worship Ministries Church of God, and All Nations Church of God will perform along with soloists Gloria Larson and Alicia Moore. In addition, three young women from Word of Life Ministries will perform interpretative dances, he said.
A tradition of the Thanksgiving service is collecting food and raising money for the poor. The need is especially great this year, said Ms. Walker of Daystar. Despite renovations of Daystar's building, which forced it to temporarily cut back on some of its services, the agency served 9,500 households, or about 20,000 people last year, Ms. Walker said.
Since Sept. 1, the beginning of its fiscal year, the assistance Daystar gives for utilities has increased 30 percent over last year, she said. Help for prescriptions has gone up almost 50 percent.
"I get here at 7:30, quarter to 8 in the morning, and there's people here waiting for our door to open at 9. It's been for the gamut of our services, from homeless people looking for transportation or just something to snack on, to people looking for medications, a lot of working families on fixed income," Ms. Walker said.
Those who attend tonight's service are being asked to donate nonperishable items for local relief agencies. Ms. Walker suggests food such as pasta, rice, peanut butter and canned meats and fruit.
"Macaroni and cheese is always a good staple and soup as it's getting colder. If they bring a can of spaghetti sauce, it would be good to throw in a packet of pasta with it," she said.
This evening's service is being sponsored by the St. Petersburg Ministerial Association, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Church Women United, Congregations United for Community Action and Daystar Life Center.
Victor of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance said this evening's celebration comes at a crucial time in American history.
"We are in an era now when we need to be talking about love and freedom. It's time for us to get together no matter what. We've got to come together in unity, so whatever we have to do, to sing, to dance. . . . That is what our theme is, just to bring love," he said.
"I think this is going to be one of the best Thanksgiving services. We are looking for a glorious time and a great turnout."
Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, 7:30 tonight at Temple Beth-El, 400 Pasadena Ave. S, St. Petersburg. Beginning at 7:15 p.m., youth choirs will provide music. Church Women United will host a reception after the service. Love offerings and food donations will be distributed to local relief agencies.