By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

Cincinnati will be one of 14 cities to host a multicultural Thanksgiving celebration.

On Friday, the American Jewish Committee, Cincinnati chapter, will host a luncheon at its downtown offices with members of Cincinnati's African-American, Hispanic, Indian, American Indian and Japanese-American communities as well as elected officials to discuss the meaning of the holiday.

"This is one of the only holidays that everybody celebrates in the United States," said Barbara Glueck, executive director of the AJC. "We're celebrating our pluralistic society. That whether we came by our own steam or were brought here against our will, we're making it here in a pluralistic and democratic society."

At the invitation-only event, the AJC's booklet, "America's Table: A Thanksgiving Reader," will be shared. The book includes contributions from several multicultural groups, including the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, the National Urban League, the Cuban American Council, the Islamic Supreme Council of America, the Japanese American Citizens League, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and the Mew America Alliance.