the shabbat project 2017

Report BackTHE SHABBAT PROJECT 2017

There are many ways to tell the story of The Shabbat Project. To make this year’s report more digestible, we’ve broken things down into four sections that capture the scale and scope of this vast social movement:

THURSDAY NIGHT

25 OCTOBER 2017

Afula

IsraelChallah Bake

Amsterdam

NetherlandsChallah Bake 01

Amsterdam

NetherlandsChallah Bake 02

Arcachon

FranceChallah Bake

Ashdod

IsraelChallah Bake

Ashkelon

IsraelChallah Bake - Neve Dekalim Community Centre

Ashkelon

IsraelChallah Bake - Shapira Community Centre

Athens

GreeceAthens Challah Bake

Atlanta

United StatesChallah Bake

Auckland

New ZealandChallah Bake

Baltimore

United StatesChallah Bake 01

Baltimore


Bat Yam

IsraelChallah Bake - Shalom Vraut Shul

Bat Yam

IsraelChallah Bake - Private house

Bat Yam

IsraelChallah Bake - Youth Centre

Bat Yam

Israel מדרשת "תהילת משה"

Be’er Sheva

IsraelChallah Bake 01

Be’er Sheva


Be’er Ya’akov

IsraelChallah Bake - Old Age Home

Be’er Ya’akov

IsraelChallah Bake - In the park

Be’er Ya’akov

IsraelShabbat Shuk / Fair

Beit Nir

IsraelChallah Bake

Bensalem


Bet Shemesh

IsraelChallah Bake

Beth Shalom Congregation - Community Pink Challah Bake


Bethesda


Bnai Israel Congregation with JDS Lower School and PJ Library


Bogota

ColombiaChallah Bake

Bordeaux

FranceChallah Bake

Boston


Boulder


Boulogne Billancourt

FranceChallah Bake

Brisbane

AustraliaChallah Bake

Brooklyn


Brussels

BelgiumChallah Bake

Budapest

HungaryChallah Bake

Buenos Aires

ArgentinaChallah Bake

Buffalo


Bulawayo

ZimbabweChallah Bake

Burbank


Cancun

MexicoChallah Bake

Cape Town

South AfricaChallah Bake 01

Cape Town


Carindale


Casablanca

MoroccoChallah Bake

Chemnitz

GermanyChallah Bake

Chennai

IndiaChallah Bake

Cherry Hill


Chicago

United StatesChallah Bake - Northbrook

Chicago

United StatesChallah Bake - Lake Zurich

Chicago

United StatesChallah Bake - City of Chicago

Chicago

United StatesChallah Bake - University of Illinois Champaign

Chicago

United StatesChallah Bake - Lake County JCC

Cleveland

United StatesChallah Bake - ALL areas of the community!

Congregation Har Shalom


Cordoba


Corrientes


Costa Rica

Costa RicaChallah Bake

Dallas


Delray Beach


Denver


Detroit


Durban

South AfricaChallah Bake

Durham


East London


Edmonton

CanadaChallah Bake

Efrat

IsraelChallah Bake

Eilat

IsraelChallah Bake

Fairfax

United StatesChallah Bake - Northern Virginia

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - Temple Kol Ami Emanu-el

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - Temple Menorah

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - Temple Menorah, Miami BeachFlorida

United StatesChallah Bake - Hillel Community Day School

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - Temple Moses

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - UNF

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - UCF

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - USF

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - Young Israel

Florida

United StatesChallah Bake - Lehrman Day School

Gautemala City

GautemalaChallah Bake

Gibraltar

SpainChallah Bake

Givatayim


Great Neck


Hadera

IsraelVolunteering

Hannover

GermanyChallah Bake

Harrisburg


Lancaster


Hashmona’im

IsraelChallah Bake

Herzliya

IsraelChallah Bake

Hollywood


Howard County

United StatesGreat Big Challah Bake

Howard County


Jacksonville


JCC in Northern Virginia


JDS (Upper School) , with Aish


Jersey Shore


Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - Givat Shaul

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - Ulpana Tvia

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - Rechavya

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - Shabbat Achim Shul

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - with Raizy Guttman in Harnof

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - with Rabbanit Gila Sitruk

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - First Station, Tachaa Harishona

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - for new immigrants (olim)

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - Ulpan Etzion

Jerusalem

IsraelChallah Bake - volunteers baking at Idan Hazahav

Johannesburg

South AfricaNight in White Challah Bake

Below are just a few of the thousands of public events that took place across the world. Of course, the list is far from exhaustive – nor does it take into account the more private gatherings, with many who were involved drawing the greatest inspiration from simply keeping Shabbat in their own homes, with friends and family, outside the public eye…

InnovationEvents and initiatives that have broken the

mould and blazed a new trail. In a sense, Shabbat is about freshness and renewal – and these highly original enterprises embody that.

City StoriesIn 1 416 cities around the globe, Jews were elbow-deep in sacred challah preparations, uniting in song and dance, and celebrating

Shabbat in a spirit of unity and good fellowship. These vignettes capture some of the best.

City Captain InterviewThe Shabbat Project is a social movement

driven by change-makers on the ground. Hear from our most hyperactive and passionate

partners – people who have literally changed the face of their communities.

Personal StoriesShabbat can be a life-changing experience. This

collection of some of the most inspiring stories to emerge in 2017 provides a window into the lives of people who might never be the same again.

Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Karnei Shomron

IsraelChallah Bake

Kewarra Beach


Kfar Saba

IsraelChallah Bake

Kharkiv

UkraineChallah Bake

Kiev

UkraineChallah Bake

Kiryat Ata

IsraelChallah Bake

Kiryat Gat

IsraelChallah Bake

Kiryat Melachi

IsraelChallah Bake

Kiryat Motzkin

IsraelChallah Bake

Kiryat Shemona

IsraelChallah Bake

Kiryat Tiv’on

IsraelChallah Bake

Kiryat Yam

IsraelChallah Bake

LA (3 main cities)


Lakewood


Lancaster

EnglandChallah Bake

Lausanne

SwitzerlandChallah Bake

Lawrence


Le Raincy

FranceChallah Bake

Lima

PeruChallah Bake

Lisbon

PortugalChallah Bake

Lodz

PolandChallah Bake

London

EnglandChallah Bake

London

EnglandStamford Hill Challah Bake 2017

London

EnglandThe Great Challah Make

Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Louisville


Lyon

FranceChallah Bake 01

Lyon

FranceChallah Bake 02

Malmo

SwedenChallah Bake 01

Malmo

SwedenChallah Bake 02

Manchester

EnglandChallah Bake

Marietta


Marlboro


Marseille

FranceChallah Bake

Mbale

UgandaChallah Bake

Miami Beach


Milken Community Schools LA


Minneapolis


Mitzpe Ramon

IsraelChallah Bake

Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut




Moncton

CanadaChallah Bake

Montevideo

UruguayChallah Bake

Myrtle Beach


Nehura

IsraelChallah Bake

Netanya

IsraelChallah Bake

Netanya

IsraelChallah Bake on the Kikar

Netivot

IsraelChallah Bake

Netivot

IsraelVolunteering

New Hyde Park


New York


New York City

United StatesChallah Bake - Manhattan Day School

New York City

United StatesChallah Bake - Washington Heights

New York City

United StatesChallah Bake - JInspire, Brooklyn

New York City

United StatesChallah Bake - Park East Synagogue

Nice

FranceChallah Bake - Acropolis venue

Nice

FranceChallah Bake

North Miami Beach

United StatesFamily Challah Bake

North Miami Beach

United StatesWomen’s Challah Bake

North Virginia

United StatesGesher School

Northern Virginia


Odessa

UkraineChallah Bake

Or Akiva

IsraelChallah Bake

Panama

PanamaChallah Bake

Panama City

PanamaChallah Bake

Pardes Hanna

IsraelChallah Bake

Petach Tikva

Israel Learning Centre-בית מדרש ע"ש אדם

Petach Tikva

Israelבית הספר ממ"ד שלום

Philadelphia


Pinsk

BelarusChallah Bake

Plantation


Port Elizabeth


Port Elizabeth


Potomac

United StatesCommunity Pink Challah Bake

Potomac

United StatesIntergenerational Challah Bake

Potomac

United StatesRing House Senior Home Challah Bake

Prague

Czech RepublicChallah Bake

Providence


Pucon

ChileChallah Bake

Quito

EcuadorChallah Bake

Ra’anana

IsraelChallah Bake for English, Hebrew, Spanish and Portuguese speakers

Ra’anana

IsraelChallah Bake for French speakers

Ra’anana

IsraelCrossfit for families

Ramat Beit Shemesh


Ramat Beit Shemesh


Ramat Gan

IsraelChallah Bake - Tel Ganim neighbourhood

Ramat Gan

IsraelChallah Bake - at the Gabbai house

Ramat Gan

IsraelChallah Bake - At the Fair

Ramat Gan


Rehamin


Rehamin


Retamim

IsraelChallah Bake - For Women

Retamim

IsraelChallah Bake - For Children

Ring House retirement home


Rockville

United StatesBnai Israel Challah Bake

Rockville


Rockville


Rockville


Rome

ItalyChallah Bake

Rosario


Saint Kilda East


San Diego


San Diego


San Diego


San Diego


San Diego


San Jose

Costa RicaChallah Bake

San Salvador

El SalvadorChallah Bake

Santa fé

New MexicoChallah Bake

Sante Fe


Santiago

ChileChallah Bake

Savannah


Scarsdale


Scottsdale & Phoenix

United StatesChallah Bake & Shabbat Shuk

Seattle


Singapore

SingaporeChallah Bake

Singapore

SingaporeSchool activities

St Ives


St Louis


St. Louis Park


Stellenbosch


Strasbourg

FranceChallah Bake

Sydney


Sydney

AustraliaChallah For Hunger

Sydney

AustraliaCommunity Challah Bake – Southern Sydney Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaMums, Bubs & Tots Challah Bake – Shalom and OBK

Sydney

AustraliaWomen’s Challah Bake - Moriah College

Sydney

AustraliaChefs Of Shabbat with Judy Phillips

Sydney

AustraliaChefs Of Shabbat with Lox Stock and Barrel

Sydney

AustraliaChefs Of Shabbat with SHUK

Sydney

AustraliaIntroduction to Jewish Meditation – Emanuel Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaLadies Arts and Crafts Evening – The North Shore Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaMen’s Whiskey Tasting and Shiur – Kehillat Kadimah

Sydney

AustraliaPark Fun – Maroubra Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaSchool activities

Tamar Regional Council

IsraelChallah Bake

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - on Rothschild Blvd

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Neve Tzedek with Yemima Mizrachi

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - 88 Ben Yehuda Street, for English speakers

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Or Hatsafon Shul on Jabotinsky

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Merkaz Lev for French speakers

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Toldot Yitzchak for French speakers

Tel Mond

IsraelChallah Bake

Tidewater


Toronto

CanadaWomen’s Challah Bake

Toronto

CanadaMiddle School Challah Bake

Toronto

CanadaMen’s Challah Bake

Toronto


Toronto

United StatesMiddle School Challah Bake

Toronto

United StatesMen’s Challah Bake

Tucson


Valley Village, CA


Vancouver

CanadaChallah Bake

Vidlin, Shetland Isles

ScotlandChallah Bake

Vilnius

LithuaniaChallah Bake

Vinnytsia

UkraineChallah Bake

Washington Heights


Weiden in der Oberpfalz

GermanyChallah Bake

Wrocław

PolandChallah Bake

Yad Binyamin

IsraelChallah Bake

Yeruham

IsraelChallah Bake

Yoav

IsraelChallah Bake

Yokine

AustraliaKids’ Challah Bake

Zaporizhzhia

UkraineCulinary Midrash

Zichron Yaakov

IsraelChallah Bake

Zurich


FRIDAY DAY26 OCTOBER 2017

Afula

IsraelShabbat preparation

Ashkelon


1The Shabbat Project 2017

A remarkable 17 different Challah Bakes took place across the State of Florida, involving thousands of women.

…

The 2017 Shabbat Project was the biggest yet for Israel.

In Jerusalem, a total of 43 events were held across the city, including a seudah shlishit and Havdallah gathering for young professionals, and a “Shabbos Shuk” event held at Machane Yehuda market that brought together Jews from across the spectrum of Israeli society. And in Har Nof, around 70 buildings each ran their own Shabbat activities, including Shabbat meals, learning programmes and prayer services, with many neighbours getting to know each other for the first time.

In Tel Aviv, partners “White City Shabbat” helped drive a number of marquis events, including a Shabbat dinner at Tel Aviv’s Namal port for around 1 000 Israelis and new olim. Another partner organisation, Inspire Tel Aviv, hosted a “Shabbat Around the World” dinner – an evening experiencing Jewish cuisine and culture from across the globe, held on a rooftop overlooking the city. Other events included a cholent-and-beer Shabbat lunch, a walking tour of “Tel Aviv’s hidden history”, a third meal, and a musical Havdallah.

Up north in Karmiel, more than 500 attended a Shabbat dinner, with a number of activities and events continuing over the course of the Shabbat. In Zichron Ya’akov, meanwhile,

Dear FriendsIt is deeply moving to watch how The Shabbat Project has matured over the past four years. It has become part of the fabric of the international Jewish calendar, and touches so many people from so many diverse backgrounds in so many different ways. I’ve been particularly struck by the energy, enthusiasm and dedication of our more than 8 000 partners: how they’ve galvanised their communities and brought this international social movement to life; how they’ve ensured The Shabbat Project has taken hold not just in the world’s Jewish capitals, but in countless cities not previously associated with a Jewish population; how they’ve brought their creativity and sense of fun to make this project their own. During the last four years, The Shabbat Project experience has become deeper and more meaningful for Jewish communities worldwide. It has been so beautiful to see how keeping Shabbat has become within the reach of all of us – how we are connecting more often and more deeply with the joy of Shabbat, which seems to be more needed with every passing day in our crazy world. Over these years I have watched The Shabbat Project unite and strengthen us all. It connects us and makes us feel like one people, with shared purpose and vision. It bonds us with Jews throughout the world. We have opened our hearts and our souls to The Shabbat Project, and in so doing, we have been blessed.

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein

This year’s fourth international Shabbat Project reached 1 416 cities and 97 countries around the world – up from 1 152 cities and 95 countries in 2016. More than one million people took part in celebrations on and around the Shabbat of 27 and 28 October, with events attracting record numbers of participants in many locations.

To coordinate the global initiative on such a large scale, a centralised team in Johannesburg worked with around 8000 city captains worldwide – up from 6000 in 2016 – who in turn marshalled tens of thousands of volunteers on the ground in their respective cities.

In the US alone – from Teaneck to Thompsonville, Miami to Mableton, Baltimore to Bridgeport – there were a total of 586 participating cities, with an estimated 20 000 people taking part in locations such as LA and San Diego.

In Israel, where President Reuven Rivlin officially endorsed the project – joining public figures as varied as Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, Ron Huldai, Yair Lapid, Aviv Alush, Natan Sharansky and Amir Ohana – there were 307 participating cities (including kibbutzim and moshavim/yishuvim) and 398 main events taking place across the country, not including countless Shabbat meals and Kiddush gatherings in streets, parks and apartment buildings.

Europe (48 participating cities in France, 31 in Russia and around 100 000 people taking part in the UK, where Prime Minister Theresa May commended the project); Latin America (138 cities); and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne each had more than 10 000 participants) all had record numbers celebrating this year’s Shabbat Project, while countries such as Mozambique, Cyprus, Paraguay and Venezuela hosted Shabbat Project festivities.

…

For the second year running, there were over 500 participating cities in the US.

San Diego was again one of the North American hubs. Among scores of events involving thousands of participants was perhaps the first ever joint-country enterprise – a Challah Bake on the Mexican border involving the communities of South County (San Diego) and Tijuana (Mexico). The two headline events – a coastal Challah Bake and a Havdallah Concert featuring the Moshav Band – drew 2 000 people, while hundreds were placed with hosts for Shabbat meals.

In Arizona, as many as 900 women who’ve attended the region’s Challah Bake in recent years, were placed with hosts for Shabbat meals. Arizona also introduced the “Shabbat Shuk” concept involving various experiential and interactive Shabbat-related activities to support this year’s Challah Bake.

In Los Angeles, a dinner on Pico Boulevard at which organisers expected more than 5 000 people (making it perhaps the biggest Shabbat dinner in history) was cancelled by city officials following the shooting attack in Nevada a month before the event. There were plenty of other events taking place, however, including 10 Challah Bakes happening across the city. An estimated 20 000 people participated in events across the city.

Chicago emulated Baltimore’s “Shabbat Through the Senses” initiative – holding pre-event workshops at four early childhood centres across the city, bringing kids of all backgrounds together to make Havdallah spice-boxes, decorative Shabbat candlesticks, tie-dye challah covers and other Shabbat items. There were Shabbat events throughout city, including four regional challah bakes; coordinated Shabbat dinners on campus at the University of Illinois; various pre-selected “Shabbat Ambassadors” hosting Friday night dinners; and a Havdallah Concert for teens. The project reached approximately 10 000 Chicago Jews.

South Florida’s Jewish residents sought solace from the storm that lashed the region in time-honoured fashion – by baking.

GLOBAL SNAPSHOT

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - 88 Ben Yehuda Street, for English speakers

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Or Hatsafon Shul on Jabotinsky

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Merkaz Lev for French speakers

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelChallah Bake - Toldot Yitzchak for French speakers

Tel Mond

IsraelChallah Bake

Tidewater


Toronto

CanadaWomen’s Challah Bake

Toronto

CanadaMiddle School Challah Bake

Toronto

CanadaMen’s Challah Bake

Toronto


Toronto

United StatesMiddle School Challah Bake

Toronto

United StatesMen’s Challah Bake

Tucson


Valley Village, CA


Vancouver

CanadaChallah Bake

Vidlin, Shetland Isles

ScotlandChallah Bake

Vilnius

LithuaniaChallah Bake

Vinnytsia

UkraineChallah Bake

Washington Heights



GermanyChallah Bake

Wrocław

PolandChallah Bake

Yad Binyamin

IsraelChallah Bake

Yeruham

IsraelChallah Bake

Yoav

IsraelChallah Bake

Yokine

AustraliaKids’ Challah Bake

Zaporizhzhia

UkraineCulinary Midrash

Zichron Yaakov

IsraelChallah Bake

Zurich


FRIDAY DAY26 OCTOBER 2017

Afula


Ashkelon


2

in partnership with the mayor’s office, events included a pre-event wine evening, citywide Challah Bake and Havdallah Concert, Shabbat activities and workshops in schools, and a Friday night dinner for the city’s teenagers.

In the south, numerous moshavim and yishuvim joined together within their regions to participate in The Shabbat Project. In Kochav Yair, central Israel, seudah shlishit was laid out on 25 streets as neighbours of all levels of observance got to know each other better. And French-speaking olim coordinated a Shabbaton in Ein Gedi, with buses from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to bring more than 100 people to the event.

Ashkelon and Eilat hosted an array of high-profile festivities. And in Mitzpe Ramon, deep in the Negev desert, Shishi Shabbos Yisraeli, a community-based organisation for young Russian olim, ran a full Shabbat programme, including a Challah Bake, community Kiddush and Havdallah Concert.

…

In London, underground trains and “Tube” stations were festooned with posters and billboards promoting The Shabbat Project. Among hundreds of events taking place across the capital, one of the biggest was a Challah Bake at the cavernous Allianz Stadium, with more than 2 000 people in attendance. The event was organised by Jewish educational outfit, Seed, with support from Sephardic organisation, Chazak.

In France, there were a total of 44 participating cities. Nice, where participation was up by 30% on last year, was among the most active. The city hosted a Friday night dinner for more than 500 people (sold out in weeks) at the glitzy Palais de la Méditerranée, as well as 700 people at a Havdallah Concert featuring Israeli singer, Idan Amedi, and 400 at a Challah Bake, both events held at the Acropolis Palace.

In Zurich, Friday night “hot spots” were created, with people identified across the city hosting big dinners in their homes. On Shabbat day, three of the main synagogues joined together for a celebratory Kiddush-Bracha. Germany, meanwhile, had 18 participating cities, with Berlin at the centre.

In Italy, Rome drove community-wide involvement via the “Invite your neighbours” initiative that saw friends and “strangers” gathering together in homes across the city for Shabbat meals. The capital city was joined by Naples, Milan, Cosenza, Cuneo and Torino, which all ran headline events.

East European-based youth movement EnerJew coordinated a remarkable Shabbaton that brought Jewish teenagers together to celebrate Shabbat in 40 cities in the former Soviet Union. Russia had a total of 31 participating cities. Pinsk, Bucharest and Budapest were among scores of Eastern European cities running full Shabbat programmes, including Warsaw, which had a Friday night meal of South African delicacies, with the South African Ambassador in attendance.

…

In South Africa, Stellenbosch, Ceres, Vanderbijl Park and Brakpan participated for the first time. In Cape Town and Johannesburg, new initiatives included the “Dark Tisch”, taking place in venues across the two cities. Mass Challah Bakes and music concerts again kick-started the event. Thousands of “Light Boxes” – with Shabbat and Havdallah Candles and accessories as well as lighting instructions – were distributed, as were copies of a specially created children’s book about a little girl and her father walking to shul on Shabbat, and including a rich exploration of Shabbat itself.

Elsewhere in Africa, Maputo emerged as a highly enthusiastic partner, while events also took place in Lome (Togo), Carthage (Tunisia) and Mbale. And in Marrakesh, Morocco, a tour group of 30 people from around the world opted to keep a full Shabbat together.

In Asia, Singapore made up for missing out last year with a number of exciting initiatives. Other participating cities included Hong Kong, Beijing, Jakarta, and Dalat (Vietnam), where Huan Duy hosted a kosher commemorative Friday night dinner at his backpacker’s lodge.

…

Latin America was once again a hotbed of activity, with 88 participating cities, most of them in Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Buenos Aires drew 5 500 women to a challah-baking event run in conjunction with the local government. The city then geared up for mass Shabbat celebrations bolstered by two spin-off initiatives that have taken hold in the aftermath of last year’s Shabbat Project and have brought the Shabbat experience to hundreds of families on a weekly basis.

In Rio de Janeiro, Jews in the neighbourhoods of Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo and Leblon participated in a veritable carnival of Shabbat Project events. Elsewhere in Brazil, Recife’s famous Kahal Zur Israel shul – erected in 1636, the oldest synagogue in the Americas – creaked open its doors to host a series of events.

Costa Rica held the world’s first glow-in-the-dark Challah Bake. The San Jose arena was bathed in darkness throughout the event, punctuated only by phosphorescent table decorations, creating a suitably otherworldly atmosphere for this mysterious, sacred Jewish rite.

And Panama City hosted a series of unity events – including a Challah Bake, Shabbat dinner and Havdallah Concert – bringing together all the various Jewish communities for the first time. Organisers also used these events to integrate the many new Jewish families who have arrived in Panama from Venezuela as a result of the latter’s socio-political issues.

Down Under, Melbourne and Sydney again led the charge. The latter was one of the first cities to usher in Shabbat at an open-air musical Kabbalat Shabbat overlooking the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. The pre-sunset extravaganza – a follow-up to last year’s Bondi Beach service – was live streamed on Facebook with a 360-degree camera, and drew more than 2 500 people. A family picnic under the stars followed. There were also scores of grassroots events being planned by the different organisations, including Challah Bakes, Havdallah Concerts, virtual cook-offs and cooking demonstrations, educational series within the schools, as well as adult educational lectures and events.Ô


City Captain Interview

Innovation

City Stories

Personal Stories

This report includes feedback from The Shabbat Project 2017 under the following categories:

ANDREA SCHNEIDER, PHOENIX, USA

“My father passed away three days before The Shabbat Project in 2015. Our local rabbi was away. Another rabbi, who was a great support during this difficult time, invited us to a Friday night service at his shul that Shabbos. I decided to go. I arrived to find I was one of only two women. At the end of the service, the other woman (Karen was her name) intro-duced herself and invited me for Shabbos lunch the next day. I declined. She asked me again. After the third time,

Personal Stories

City Stories

MYRA WEISFELD, HOUSTON, USA

“Meyerland Minyan is in the Heart of the Jewish Community of Houston, Texas. Some of our congregants were flooded out of their homes four times in the last 27 months. Around 30 of our families sustained flooding during Hurricane Harvey, on 27 August. Thankfully, our new shul that we moved into last year right before Rosh Hashanah did not sustain any damage. It has been the safe haven for our members and friends to come for hot meals, and the distribution centre for food, clothing, cleaning supplies, toiletries, bedding, and small appliances over the last few months. We were happy to host over 70 people for Shabbos! The Shabbat Project brought in a wide spectrum of families and individuals to spend Shabbos in a warm and welcoming environment. I’m just so grateful that Meyerland Minyan was able to celebrate The Shabbat Project with our friends and family around the world!”Ô

Challah Bake, Buenos Aires

4

I had a strange feeling – like I was getting some sort of message from the universe. I accepted. When I got home and told my husband, he was surprised. ‘Are you sure you want to go?’, he asked me. We arrived at the lunch the next day and were surprised to find 12 other people of very diverse backgrounds. It was a beautiful lunch. We all had different perspectives and different stories to share. After lunch we decided to check out some of the classes that were being given at the shul throughout the af-ternoon. They were excep-tional. We decided to stay on for the third meal, which was also really beautiful. At the seudah, I met Robin (Meyerson – Shabbat Project Arizona co-chair), and we struck up an immediate friendship. After Shabbos I broke down in tears at the enormity of the experience. The community as a whole was so warm and welcoming; there was an inclusiveness and acceptance and I felt inspired by that. Perhaps most powerfully, throughout the Shabbat, I felt my father’s presence. I was in mourning but I really felt like my father was still alive. I felt him there with me guiding me to and through this Shabbat. Robin invited us for lunch the following Shabbat. She only had to ask me once! Since that fateful day, I’ve gradually taken more steps in my Jewish journey. At the beginning I was afraid of making mistakes. But then I learnt to embrace the mistakes and to make this journey of mine one driven by love rather than fear. Today, I am fully Shabbat observant. I live quite a distance from the shul, but once a month I stay over with someone from the community. And hardly a day goes by without me thinking of my late father, and how he led me to this renewed con-nection with my heritage.”Ô

WHAT IS IT?

All the community members of a building/street/kibbutz/moshav/city come together to enjoy live music before Shabbat. The live music stops just before Shabbat and then they participate in the rest of the service, and perhaps a communal meal together afterwards.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?• Musicians• Instruments• Enthusiastic participants• Suitable venue, preferably outdoors

WHERE WAS IT HELD?Many cities in Israel, but especially in the Emek Yisrael region, where the kibbutzim and moshavim came together with klezmer music before Shabbat, going into Kabbalat Shabbat. Sydney, Australia, have also held their own musical Kabbalat Shabbat events over the past two years, drawing thousands to iconic locations such as Bondi Beach and the Dudley Page Reserve (overlooking the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge).

Innovation

GOOD TO KNOW• You don’t need to have a famous band; you can have a local

musician or a few, bringing everyone together in song. • Some communities light candles together.• The idea is to get your neighbours to join in and bring in

Shabbat together, while getting to know each other and having a good time.

• Where’s a central venue in your area to get this off the ground this year?

Daniel Sekers (Sydney):“We have the unique opportunity to be one of the first countries to bring in Shabbat on the weekend of The Shabbat Project and it gives us the opportunity to share our Kabbalat Shabbat with the world watching. Imagine, at Boi V’Shalom, 1 500 people turning around to face the waves of the world’s most famous beach to welcome Shabbat! The stirring traditional tunes were contagious, with women dancing together in circles and men swaying arm in arm.”Ô

MUSICAL KABBALAT SHABBAT

“The stirring traditional tunes were contagious, with women dancing together in circles and men swaying arm in arm.”- Daniel Sekers


STACEY KATZ, EARLY CHILDHOOD DIRECTOR, TEMPLE KOL AMI EMANUEL, FLORIDA

“At Temple Kol Ami Emanuel in Plantation, Florida, we held an amazing Challah Bake. We ended up with close to 300 women and children – a number we never thought we would reach. We staffed the event with Orthodox

‘Challah Captains’ from the Miami Beach and Hollywood communities and the Shaarei Bina girls school, with Mrs Tila Falic Levi taking us through the challah preparation. Tila was amazing, and though it was a ‘loud crowd’, through the noise, her message was educational, spiritual and inspiring. The table captains and their daughters from Shaarei Bina truly added to the event. They were very helpful and the high school girls were as graceful as could be. Having the Orthodox and Reform communities along with the IAC (Israeli American Council) joined together as one, made the night so special.”Ô

BIANCA HIRSCHOWITZ, SINGAPORETell us about your Singapore organisation.As befitting this international city, we are a cosmopolitan bunch. The Singapore Shabbat Project committee comprises expats from Australia, South Africa, the UK, Russia and Canada.

Tell us a bit about yourself.I am originally from South Af-rican and lived with my hus-band in Dubai for five years before moving to Singapore. I am passionate about family, traditional Jewish family values and travel. I’m espe-cially interested in seeing how different Jewish communities run.

What motivated you to become involved in The Shabbat Project? I remember when the first Shabbat Project happened in South Africa, I was in Dubai and sat with tears in my eyes… to think that I had left such a vibrant Jewish community to move to such a soulless place. I thought that if I ever had a chance to participate, I would. After moving to Singapore, I jumped at the opportunity to run it here.

Take us through some of the most successful events you’ve run. In 2017, we ran an amazing Challah Bake with nearly 200 women. The following evening we hosted a commu-nity Shabbat dinner at the Jacob Ballas Centre, which was very successful. Many expats commented that it was one of their favourite Shabbats in Singapore.

One of the most memorable events took place in 2015, where different neighbourhoods hosted large Shabbat dinners in central condominiums. Every condo has a large multi-purpose room and we set up the dinners in these rooms. One of them was held in my building. We had 60 people at the dinner, and it was officiated by Yosel Tiefenbrun, who has the unique distinction of being both a rabbi and Saville Row apprentice tailor. The sumptuous dinner was catered by the JWB (Jewish Welfare Board). A number of people in the area came to us to keep Shabbat.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced? The Singapore Jewish community tends to do things at the last minute. It’s hard to get people to commit early, so

City Captain InterviewCity Stories you never really know how many people to cater for and how many people will show up. It makes the logistics challenging.

Has The Shabbat Project been a force for unity/positive change in the community?The community is largely made up of expats from all over the world, in addition to a few locals. Everyone’s got their own traditions, their own culture, their own way of doing things. The wonder-ful thing about The Shabbat Project is that it brings us all together, and gives us a sense of shared belonging, even with all our differences. It also draws new people to our JWB Community Centre, a number of whom have become regu-lars due to the success of The Shabbat Project.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners? Whatever size your community is, work towards putting together a Shabbat Project event, as it creates such an overwhelming sense of pride and unity. Believe me, it’s worth all the pressure, time, effort and commitment.Ô

LT TAYO AYODELE, ABUJA, NIGERIA

“I have no synagogue around. No chazan. No Jewish com-munity. I know only Muslims and Christians. I work in a military setting with strict rules and constant changes of grid zones. It will not be too difficult to understand why I feel, at times, lonely and discouraged. Then I heard about The Shabbat Project. This year, on Parshat Lecha Lecha, I was still alone in my barracks. But in some ways, I wasn’t. That Shabbat was different somehow. Every Shabbat is special, but on The Shabbat Project, with Jewish communities all over the world uniting to observe the Sabbath, it seems to elevate our world.”Ô

Personal Stories“With Jewish communities all over the world uniting to observe the Sabbath, it seems to elevate our world.” -LT Tayo Ayodele

Shabbat Shuk, Ramat Gan

City branding, Johannesburg

DANIELLE LITT-HALPERN, BE’ERSHEVA, ISRAEL

“The Jeff Seidel Be’er Sheva Center had the privilege of hosting almost 50 young English-speaking olim for Friday night dinner. For around half of the participants, it was the first time they had participated in The Shabbos Project. During dinner, as we went around the room, we saw the incredible diversity that was present. On the Shabbat of Parshat Lech Lecha, Jews from all over the world had left their homes, like our father, Avraham Avinu, to come to the city of Be’er Sheva.”Ô

DAVID LUBBE, VIDLIN, SHETLAND ISLES

“We decided to bake challah for our Jewish neighbours who do not keep Shabbat anymore. What a disaster. We use a wood-burning stove on our farm and landed up burning all but one of the loaves! We all had a good laugh, though, and they loved the gesture.”Ô

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DANIEL SEKERS, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIATell us about your Sydney organisation.The Sydney Shabbat Project is run as a central coordinating body. Registered as a not-for-profit organisation, we have a governing board of eight representatives from all the key communal organisations in New South Wales. The board oversees the communal, religious and financial objectives of the project and forms the strategy to drive the local organising committee (LOC).

Under the board, there is an LOC made up of both paid and volunteer staff who undertake Shabbat Project planning and execution based on the strategic direction of the board. In turn, the LOC oversees three subcommittees:• Major events – big events or initiatives organised centrally.• Communal engagement – driving grassroots initiatives and

events and promoting collaboration between organisations. • PR and marketing – a central team driving awareness and

creating hype, both around the project as a whole, and around specific events.

The board meets on 10 occasions throughout the year, while the LOC meets weekly during the four months leading up to the project. The subcommittees generally meet weekly in the build-up. Tell us a bit about yourself.I am an entrepreneur and investor and sit on the Board of Directors of a number of different companies. I have been the co-chair and chairman of the board for The Shabbat Project Limited, in Sydney, for the last two years.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project? What motivated you to become a partner?In 2013, Giora Friede attended the first Shabbat Project in South Africa and was inspired to bring this phenomenon to Australia. In 2014, he formed the first board and organising committee. I headed up the IT committee in that year, driving the Web presence of the project in Sydney.

I’ve always been heavily involved in the community, so when the chance to lead The Shabbat Project came up in 2016, I saw it as an opportunity to continue driving a community initiative that promotes Jewish continuity, Jewish identity and communal unity.

Take us through some of the most successful events and initiatives you’ve run.The big communal Kabbalat Shabbat in an iconic setting has become something of a Sydney Shabbat Project trademark. It began in 2016, when we trialled the concept at Bondi Beach. The musical Kabbalat Shabbat, held a couple of hours before sunset, featured djembes, guitars and flutes, while drones buzzed over-head taking pictures and capturing video footage that beamed live around the world.

In 2017, the community wanted it again, and this time the set-ting was the Dudley Page Reserve, with a backdrop of the Sydney skyline, Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The event was live-streamed on Facebook with a 360-degree camera, and drew more than 2 500 people, and a family picnic under the stars followed.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?The two key challenges are securing funding for Shabbat Project programmes and finding ways to keep the community engaged and interested in participating in the project.

Another pressing challenge we face is the proximity to the High Holy Days, which means planning has to be well and truly com-plete prior to Rosh Hashanah. Finding venues big enough to sup-port the scale of events has also been difficult.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners?Our communities all over the world are diverse and yet carry many similarities. One of the reasons we have achieved so much in Sydney is that we created a central planning body whose job was not to organise everything, but to empower the community to collaborate. Having a central body and key representatives from most major communal organisations has fostered an ecosystem where religious and non-religious communal or-ganisations have collaborated and where neighbouring shuls (usually competing geograph-ically for membership) have come together to highlight and embody the importance of community and communal unity.

I would encourage every global community to form a central organising body with the aim of bringing the community closer together and challeng-ing their regular routine as a community to do something different. Ô

ADINA FISCHLEWITZ, LONG ISLAND, USA

“We had 1 350 women and children at our Challah Bake in Far Rockaway. This year we created a theme: ‘Sarah’s Tent’ – to highlight the fact that challah was made thousands of years ago and that it’s not just a culinary or simple cultural experience. The venue was stunning, from the dramatic

‘Sarah’s Tent’ recreation to some really captivating lighting. We gave out specially designed booklets with challah recipes and information allowing women to find out about Jewish educational opportunities happening in and around the area. We created amazing videos by [best-selling Jewish author and educator] Rabbi David Fohrman and [renowned actress] Tovah Feldshuh. We had inspiring music and an even more inspiring speaker, Slovie Jungreis-Wolff. The homemade ‘challah tasting’ with dips at each table was a big hit. Overall, we had 14 different participating community organisations, and various temples in the area that brought hundreds of women to the event – all through social media. Sixty percent to 75% of the women and children attending were not Shabbat observers. Our more than 200 table captains forged real connections with those who attended. All were swept up by the dancing of more than 1 300 women. One attendee said it gave her ‘renewed hope in humanity’. I personally felt that walls of judgment were broken down and the pure joy of being together was palpable throughout the event.”Ô

City Stories City Captain Interview

BRONIA BRANDMAN, BROOKLYN, USA

“In Auschwitz, could I ever in my wildest dreams have imagined a gathering like this? There’s so much positive energy here, it boggles the mind! My heart swells with pride and disbelief and I feel the kedusha [holiness] hovering over us. I see here the excitement, the inspiration, and the spark of Divinity. Together, let’s keep that spark alive! Let’s keep the fire and the passion alive! Am Yisroel Chai!”Ô

Personal Stories

Challah bakes in Brooklyn (above) and Cordoba (below).


SOUTH AFRICAN DINNER

WHAT IS IT?

A South African-themed dinner in tribute to the country where The Shabbat Project was introduced.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?• A suitable venue• South African décor (could be tourist posters/brochures, curio

items, patterned tablecloths/serviettes, etc)• South African cuisine (you might need to do some research)• A knowledge of the origins and early history of The Shabbat

Project to share with participants

WHERE WAS IT HELD?Warsaw, Poland

HOW DID IT GO?The idea behind the South African-themed Shabbat dinner was to mark this special Shabbat in an innovative and unique way. As The Shabbat Project originated in South Africa, and is rather unknown to most locals, the local team decided it was a good opportunity to showcase the country. The dinner was specifically for students con-nected with the Taglit-Birthright and Masa organisations (both pro-grammes are affiliates of the Jewish Agency). The initial idea was to invite the South African ambassador to Warsaw, but in the end he couldn’t come. Instead, the team invited Poland’s Chief Rabbi who has visited South Africa on occasion. Coordinator Magda Dorosz also spoke about her experiences in South Africa, where she spent a year as a student. Discussions were around South African history, society, leaders and the Jewish community, as well as the interesting histor-ical parallels between Poland and SA (Nelson Mandela and former Polish president and fellow Nobel laureate, Lech Walesa, were lead-ers of their respective countries at a similar time). Traditional South African dishes and imported South African wine were served. Over-all, it was a great evening of learning that brought a diverse group of Jews together.

Innovation

GOOD TO KNOW

• To add real South African flavour, invite your country’s South African ambassador.

• Get creative with the cuisine. There are a whole host of South African delicacies and staples to sample.

Ô

Who to contact for info/ideas:Magda [email protected]

MOCHE WAJCER, CORRIENTES, ARGENTINA

“I think that those who participated and experienced a different Shabbat with their families and with others, and the desire and energy put into it, made them different. We were all very happy because not only did we fulfil such an important mitzvah, but those who had never participated in a Shabbat before wanted to learn: the steps of a Shabbat dinner, pronouncing all the brachot to bless their children, singing, eating together, studying the parsha, etc. This was a beautiful experience that people will surely replicate each Shabbat in their homes.”Ô

City Stories

CHERYL FOX, CLEVELAND, USA

“There was a family who live in an area that is not within walking distance to any shul or community. They stayed over for Shabbos at our house (right in the centre of a vibrant community) with their 12-year-old daughter and four-year-old son. Their children got on so well with the other children in our neighbourhood, and the weather was beautiful, so they spent hours playing happily in the yard. At the end of Shabbos, as they were leaving, the daughter com-mented, ‘Wow! Shabbat was not boring!”Ô

Personal Stories

SARA HANANI, SDEROT, ISRAEL

“Everyone came. We all live in the same neighbourhood but we don’t know each other. It was very beautiful to come together like this. Those not accustomed to Shabbat ob-servance arrived with appre-hension and stayed on the side. But after Kiddush, the talking began. In the end, they were actually happy to be in-vited and the next year they also want to help organise the event! That’s the most amazing thing in my eyes.” Ô

ETTI COHEN, BNEI AYISH, ISRAEL

“We had an amazing, highly emotional Shabbat and people literally shed tears. Nearly 400 people took part in the event, held on the main road of the yishuv. The participants were young and old. Elderly Hol-ocaust survivors and senior citizens mixed with children of five. Observant Jews joined with non-observant Jews. Everyone sat in silence when the rabbi of the yishuv said Kiddush. Tears streamed from a group of women who, for nearly 30 years, had not heard Kiddush and had not experi-enced an atmosphere and a group of Jews like on this holy day. A Holocaust survivor was completely overcome with emotion. It was an extraor-dinary event that left no one untouched.”Ô

HOLLY VENICK, BALTIMORE, USA

“The Shabbat Project dinner and Kabbalat Shabbat at Beth Tefiloh in Baltimore had everything – ‘Kabbalat Shabbat on the Rocks’ pre-event cocktails for young professionals, rocking ser-vices led by a cappella group Rak Shalom, a dinner of international Jewish cuisine, an after-dinner after-party, and a wonderfully diverse group of 400 guests. There were people who drive to shul and people who walk to shul; women who cover their hair and women who do not; people who come to shul three times a year and those who come daily – all bound together through Shabbat. And our oldest participant of 94 got on famously with our youngest of six months.”Ô

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“We participated again last year, and for some reason I felt even better.” -Ilana Panush

ARIELA DAVIS, CHARLESTON, USA“Fifty years ago, most Jewish women, no matter how far removed they were from Judaism, lit Shabbos candles, which is perhaps why many conjure the image of a woman lighting candles as the emblem of Judaism. Nowadays, for whatever reason, many Jewish women do not light. But, for The Shabbos Project, we dared to attempt something tremendous: to encourage every Jewish household in Charleston to light Shabbos candles in honour of The Shabbos Project. Despite the simplicity of the idea, I feared that, like other initiatives we’ve tried to encourage, it wouldn’t catch on. I was pleasantly surprised when many of the other Jewish organisations and synagogues in town agreed to encourage their congregants to join in. I was even more excited when a group of women came up to me in shul to tell me they had decided to join our initiative and bring in Shabbos with candles. A number of them admitted they had lit many years ago, but for whatever reason, had stopped lighting. One woman told me she would need to dust off her grandmother’s candlesticks, but she was excited to bring this mitzvah to her home once more. Many spoke with nostalgia about watching their grandmothers light and the beauty it had brought to the home. These women were from across the spectrum of the Jewish community – Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, unaffiliated – and their messages have infused me with hope that maybe we can really bring candle lighting back to our community.”Ô

City Stories

RABBI NITZAN BERGMAN, BALTIMORE, USA“This last Sunday I witnessed two incredible Challah Bakes. They were amazing events which created a truly unique and exquisite atmosphere. One of togetherness, unity and celebration. With The Shabbat Project, besides enjoying big events which are fun and exciting, we are tapping into an innate desire that we have to connect to one another. This connection runs deep. We are one people with one heart. Going forward, the energy created through these events must translate into an organic movement of people reaching out one to another and coming together in a more inti-mate space to not only do together and dance together, but to talk together.”Ô

ADAM CRYSTAL, MINNEAPOLIS, USA“We had 400+ women at our Challah Bake, where there was a tremendous feeling of unity among women from all levels of observance and affiliation. We then had around 90 college students and young adults join us for an entire Shabbos at a Shabbaton. There was great spirit throughout: singing, dancing, camaraderie. The Shabbaton was held in a big tent outdoors, and, despite temperatures in the low 30s, the tent was full of warmth and good cheer!” Ô

RICHARD NOAR, NELSON, NEW ZEALAND

“I live in Nelson, New Zealand, a town of approximately 150 Jews, where we’ve tried to ‘keep it together’ over the past three years (sadly, we no longer have a shul – it was closed over 100 years ago). Last weekend, my family being away, I decided to do The Shabbat Project all by myself. It was a wonderfully peaceful and meaningful 25 hours. Given our geographic location, I guess, along with other New Zealanders, I would have been among the first people on the planet to usher in Shabbat. I’m very much looking forward to participating again next year, and I’m hoping to observe a few more full Shabbats over the year. Ô

Personal Stories

ILANA PANUSH, PLANO, TEXAS

“Two years ago, my family decided to join The Shabbos Project. We had never before kept Shabbos. After the 25 hours were over, I had such a great feeling. We participated again last year, and for some reason I felt even better. This year, everything just felt right. Tomorrow we will be moving to a new residence within the Plano eruv, and within walking distance of shul, so we can keep Shabbos. I would like to thank everyone who showed us what Shabbos is all about.”Ô

ANN BRADY, WINCHESTER, CANADA

“I live in a small village in eastern Ontario, with a few hundred inhabitants, and no other Jews. This Shabbat, I was alone, but it was of great comfort to me to know that people everywhere were gath-ering for this global Shabbat day. Such a tremendous good energy released into our world, a powerful tikkun olam.”Ô

Challah Bake, Cordoba

Dark Tisch, Johannesburg

MARCELLE SADMAN-ZIMMERMAN, RAANANA, ISRAEL

“We have been keeping Shabbos once a year ever since the first Shabbos Project in 2013, back when we were living in Cape Town. We moved to Raanana in December 2015, where we carried on participating in The Shabbos Project. Last year, I went solo to the Challah Bake. This year, I felt a stronger sense of belonging, kneading challah with 400 from all over the globe. There was a special feeling of being part of the Jewish people as a whole. We are traditional and loved keeping Shabbos this week. I feel well rested and grateful for the break from technology. From now on, I’m going to try keeping Shabbos once a month.”Ô

Personal Stories


WHAT IS IT?A Friday night celebratory gath-ering held in the dark. The focus is on singing, especially niggunim (ancient Jewish chants), often interspersed with inspiring talks, ideas and personal stories.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?Literally, just a dark room with people in it, and some tables and chairs. Depending on the size, it could also be held at a school gymnasium or even a small sta-dium. Snacks are also good. Be-cause it’s in the dark, décor isn’t much of a factor, but there are ways to get creative (see below) and take the ambience to anoth-er level. Ideally, there should be someone coordinating the singing/talks, though the struc-ture of the event need not be rigid. Indeed, an organic, spon-taneous flow can be extremely powerful.

WHERE WAS IT HELD?The tradition comes from the Slonimer Chassidim who hold a Dark Tisch every Friday night in the basement of a café in central Jerusalem. The idea was brought to South Africa and repurposed for The Shab-bat Project by Batya Smadja, a marketing strategist based in Johannesburg

HOW DID IT GO?The beauty of the Dark Tisch is that it’s not dependent on specifics. If all you have is a bunch of people and a dark room, that’s fine. The basic principle is simply singing in the dark, letting go of inhibitions, coming together – elevating, connecting, introspecting.

If you have the resources, there are ways to augment the experience. There was one in Glenhazel (one of the main Jewish thoroughfares in Johannesburg) for close to 1 000 people. It was held in a big shul with high ceilings and great acoustics. Organisers set up long tables with LED lights under white tablecloths, so the tables glowed (the initial plan was to use UV lights so the people with white shirts would look “angelic”). LED lights were also placed inside helium balloons that floated up on the ceiling, creating an ethereal, almost spooky effect. These simple measures really heightened the atmosphere. But they also served a more practical purpose, ensuring there was just the right amount of light for people not to stumble over one another and safely pour themselves a drink. To maintain the theme (black/white, light/dark) white popcorn was served in black boxes. The event went on until 1:30am.

The smaller tisches were just as powerful. One was held at someone’s house. They invited their friends and neighbours, and did their own catering. Balloons were supplied. There were also other tisches held in shuls.

One really incredible tisch was held at Linksfield Shul and was run by teenagers from the local Jewish day school. There were 80 kids, pri-marily from non-observant backgrounds, who sang their hearts out in the dark for two hours straight. There were no talks in between; it was all about the singing. And the kids came out electrified. The rabbi who helped coordinate the event said it was the most powerful tisch he had been to – and he had been to the original Dark Tisch!

The rabbi of another shul said that after their Dark Tisch, he had non-observant congregants and friends telling him they wanted to have one on a regular basis.

GOOD TO KNOW• Organisers initially set out with a structured plan for the event.

Detailed table layouts, time allocations, etc. They found, however, that letting the event develop organically worked much better.

• Having people sharing ideas and stories in between the singing can really amplify and uplift the singing experience. At the Glenhazel tisch, a father who’d recently lost a child shared some very personal words about needing darkness to find the light. It was so powerful, and the song that came after he sat down almost lifted the roof. People had shivers.

• At the same time, the events that had too many talks were not as successful as the events where the singing was the focus.

Batya Smadja (Dark Tisch coordinator):“The Shabbat Project is about unity and bringing together Jews of all backgrounds. The darkness can be a great equaliser. You can’t really see who is sitting next to you – it could be someone young or old, observant or not. The wonderful thing is that it removes all barriers. The darkness allows you to lose yourself in the experience. No one need be embarrassed to sing. Someone who wouldn’t normally get up in front of a crowd might feel more inclined to give over a nice idea or tell a personal story. People share more – and more personally – in this setting. Ultimately, there’s something deeply spiritual and qui-etly inspiring about the Dark Tisch. There’s something self-centring about being in the dark. There’s a mystery and intrigue here. It can really uplift the entire Shabbat experience.”Ô

Who to contact for info/ideas?Batya Smadja | [email protected]

THE DARK TISCH

Innovation

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WHAT DO YOU NEED?An outgoing Shabbat Project rep is needed to recruit and sell tables to Jewish organisations and vendors. We were conservative and only charged $18 to vendors that were selling Shabbat-related items. Table vendors that were giving items away for free were not charged a fee to participate but were tasked with decorating their tables for Shabbat and to provide free educational items. Rectangular folding tables and a few electrical outlets were necessary. We had a donor provide a Shabbat Project-branded tote bag for sale to help attendees carry the items they bought.

WHERE WAS IT HELD?The Shabbat Shuk was held in the Phoennix Jewish Community Center gymnasium, which was the same physical space as the Challah Bake. To enter the Challah Bake, participants had to walk through the Shabbat Shuk. The design was two long rows of tables that participants walked between to access the Challah Bake area. The walkway between the tables was narrow to create a “busy” crowded feeling.

HOW DID IT GO?• A total of 24 tables displayed numerous Shabbat-related

items. We had vendors sharing educational content about the parsha; we had cholent-, wine- and artisanal salad-tasting; we had people giving out Shabbat candles; we had people practising challah braiding on fabric strips, as well as challah cover and match box decorating; and we had Shabbat-related Jewish art and Judaica on sale, as well as Shabbat-friendly children’s toys and games, and Shabbat desserts. There was also a ventriloquist entertaining the participants.

• The Shabbat Shuk started at 6pm and the Challah Bake started forty-five minutes later. To our amazement, the participants mingled at each table, purchasing items, tasting food and filling their bags with free educational items.

• The table vendors who sold items were happy and some even sold out of all their items to the 600-plus attendees so they were quite pleased with the outcome. Several vendors told us that they acquired new clients for future business as well. Among the most successful tables were the restaurants that provided free samples of Shabbat food.

• More than 600 people attended the event, 90% unobservant and completely unaffiliated. Feedback was uniformly positive.

WHAT IS IT?Jewish organisations and vendors sharing or selling Shabbat-related items and knowledge. Each had their own table that was arranged in an artificially condensed small space to recreate the bustling Jerusalem shuk experience. Each table host sells or displays Shabbat-related items, or provides Shabbat educational material.

SHABBAT SHUK

Innovation

Shabbat Shuk, Pheonix Arizona

GOOD TO KNOW• Vendors could probably be charged more than $18 and the

revenue can help offset Challah Bake expenses.• Participating organisations that were not selling items

needed guidance about what to do at their Shabbat Shuk table. Organisers can help these organisations with creative ideas and suggestions about how best to run their tables.

• We did not invite synagogues to participate in the shuk because the community already has a Jewish event in which synagogues promote themselves and we did not want synagogues to compete for members.

• We originally thought that table hosts could have teaching time for various things like the candle lighting and Kiddush prayers and even the parsha but the shuk atmosphere of noise, hustle and bustle does not permit quiet teaching moments, which is fine.

• It’s important to have passionate, outgoing people at the shuk tables.

Robin Meyerson (Shabbat Project Scottsdale/Phoenix chair):“The Shabbat Project is about immersing in one full complete Shabbat to truly appreciate what Shabbat is. However, so many Jews today are very distant from any knowledge of their heritage and they are not aware of even the most fundamental Shabbat elements. A Shabbat Shuk provides a beautiful yet simple way to educate and inspire in a non-judgmental or threatening way. In addition, the Shabbat Shuk allows vendors and organisations to get excited about The Shabbat Project and meet diverse participants of the community who they wouldn’t ordinarily interact with.”Ô Who to contact for info/ideas?Robin Meyerson | mailto:[email protected]

a wonderfully peaceful and meaningful

25 hours

“I live in Nelson, New Zealand, a town of approximately 150 Jews, where we’ve tried to ‘keep it together’ over the past three years (sadly, we no longer have a shul – it was closed over 100 years ago). Last weekend, my family being away, I decided to do The Shabbat Project all by myself. It was a wonderfully peaceful and meaningful 25 hours. Given our geographic location, I guess, along with other New Zealanders, I would have been among the first people on the planet to usher in Shabbat. I’m very much looking forward to participating again next year, and I’m hoping to observe a few more full Shabbats over the year. “

Richard Noar, Nelson, New Zealand

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it seems to elevate our

world

“I have no synagogue around. No chazan. No Jewish community. I know only Muslims and Christians. I work in a military setting with strict rules and constant changes of grid zones. It will not be too difficult to understand why I feel, at times, lonely and discouraged. Then I heard about The Shabbat Project. This year, on Parshat Lecha Lecha, I was still alone in my barracks. But in some ways, I wasn’t. That Shabbat was different somehow. Every Shabbat is special, but on The Shabbat Project, with Jewish communities all over the world uniting to observe the Sabbath, it seems to elevate our world.”

Lt Tayo Ayodele, Abuja, Nigeria

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ROBIN MEYERSON, PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE, USATell us about your Arizona organisation.The Arizona Shabbat Project is headed up by a team of volunteer women of all ages and Jewish backgrounds. I myself have co-chaired the organisation for the last four years – this year, alongside Danielle Gross, who is affiliated with the Conservative movement. Our core committee comprises about 20 volunteers who range in age from early 20s to mid-50s. By working together on The Shabbat Project, we have become great friends. Together, we really embody The Shabbat Project goal of Jewish unity! Our core group handles all the strategic, logistical, marketing, fundraising and management requirements around the Challah Bake, Shabbos dinners and Havdallah concert. We’ve had financial and administrative support from staff and lay leaders at the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, Phoenix Community Kollel, Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center and Phoenix Jewish News. Most of the coordination was done via phone, email, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger. We’ve also enlisted volunteer help from the wider community, especially from the local Jewish day school. Last year, my husband and teenage son also pitched in, moving cartloads of heavy boxes filled with our new book, Celebrating Shabbos, which we gave to all participants! Tell us a bit about yourself.I am a speaker, author and life coach, and have appeared on radio and TV. I have a degree in marketing as well as an MBA, and a 25-year track record as a professional marketer and publisher.

City Captain Interview Quite simply, I am passionate about the Jewish people. As an active community volunteer, in addition to my work on The Shabbat Project, I have served on the board of the Jewish Tuition Organization for the past eight years – helping them raise millions of dollars for Jewish day school tuition – and as the West Coast Director for the National Association of Chevrah Kadishas. I’ve also done extensive marketing and consulting work for various local Jewish organisations.

I’ve been married 27 years, and have five children. I grew up without a formal Jewish education, and this has been one of my biggest personal challenges. Over the years, however, I have made concerted efforts to address this shortcoming, learning Torah every chance I get, and reading Torah books voraciously. I’m also extremely grateful to my family who are formally educated in Torah and teach me new things every day. To my astonishment, I have several one-on-one students that I teach Torah to as a result of my community involvement. As a mentor, I learn much more from my students than they learn from me.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project? What motivated you to become a partner?My dear friend Miriam Botner lost her daughter, Lauren, the first year of The Shabbat Project, and was looking for a meaningful project to contribute her time and money towards, in her daughter’s memory. I had never heard of a challah bake or The Shabbat Project – but I jumped in! There are three things that keep me inspired to chair The Shabbos Project [committee] year after year. Firstly, the thrilling emotional experience of watching an enormous gathering of women and girls of all ages and backgrounds stream into a room to make challah – as if they are walking through the parted Sea of Reeds!

Secondly, the immense joy I feel knowing that I am providing a genuine, true Torah learning experience for hundreds of sincere Jewish women and girls thirsting to learn and grow, and that as a team, we have contributed significantly to the expansion of Shabbos awareness and observance in Arizona.

Thirdly, The Shabbat Project in Arizona has truly become a pivotal turning point for many people beginning or rediscovering Torah learning, and a rich, renewed Jewish life. Take us through some of the most successful events you’ve run.The first Shabbat Project was very much an unknown for all of us. We had a donor that sponsored the Great AZ Challah Bake, who wanted the event to be free. We had no idea how many would sign up. As the registrations started to pour in, we realised we were running out of space. Our donor wanted to cut off registrations at 300, but I did not want to turn a single Jew away. We ended up ac-cepting every single Jewish woman and girl and set up additional tables all over the hallways so everyone would have a space. We ended up with more than 600 participants. It was a great launch to the project and made a big splash in the community. This year, we added a Shabbos Shuk to the mix, which was a nice way to shake things up a bit, and it had a big impact.

(Read more about Arizona’s “Shabbos Shuk” on page 10). What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?Mainly, not having enough time or money to do all the things I want to do for The Shabbat Project. I am a volunteer running a team of other volunteers for just a few months leading up to the event. If we had a full-time staff and proper budget, we would do much more year-round programming and Torah learning. I am going to try and make this happen. On a personal level, I have this overwhelming desire to change the world and a tremendous amount of G-d-given stamina and cre-ative energy to pursue this inner calling. The challenge is devot-ing myself to this, while still focusing on my immediate family. I am so thankful to have a husband who gives me the space I need to conquer the projects I am working on, and at the same time, models for me the importance of putting family first. Has The Shabbat Project been a force for unity/positive change in the community? The Shabbat Project has emerged as a genuinely life-changing ex-perience for many in the community. The beautiful relationships that have been forged, and the way it has set many participants on the path to a more meaningful and more engaged Jewish life,

has been awe-inspiring. Partic-ipants themselves remark how they have gained a renewed feeling of Jewish pride and a stronger sense of Jewish unity. They feel a longing for the next Shabbat Project.

Why do you think Shabbat/The Shabbat Project is something that cuts across divisions and appeals to all kinds of Jews?Shabbos is in the neshama of every Jew – it just needs to be turned on. Making bread, dancing, listening to music are universal spiritual experiences. So the Challah Bake and the Havdallah Concert are therefore natural Jewish events that can be primal, compelling and instantly gratifying. All Jews can get excited about coming together for one giant worldwide Shabbat. The momentum of a worldwide event brings excitement from the grassroots level. The key is to turn this inspiration into a longing for Shabbat all year long, and that comes from personal, loving connections. Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners?Just do it! Put your heart and soul into making the effort to put on The Shabbat Project in your city! It is a transcend-ent, holy project. There are so many miracles that led to the success of the Arizona Shab-bat Project. What’s happened here goes beyond nature. I’m convinced that if you make the effort to run it in your city, you will receive what I can only describe as Divine assistance. I don’t just believe this – I’ve experienced it first-hand.Ô

SHAINDEL RASKIN, LARNACA, CYPRUS

“The women and girls from across the island arrived before candle lighting and we all lit together. Many had never lit before. The children had a special programme during Kabbalat Shabbat. Afterwards, we celebrated with an amaz-ing meal made by a variety of women from our community

– there were Moroccan, Ashke-nazi, and Tripoli foods. It was very colourful and tasty. We had 100 people for Friday night and many of them re-turned the next day.”Ô

ANDREA PASSE, LONDON, UK

“It’s been the most amazing ShabbatUK. We estimate that there have been over 50 000 challahs made at over 100 challah makes, gracing the tables at probably more than 350 events from Glasgow in the north of the UK to Plymouth in the south – and everywhere in between.”Ô

City Stories

Havdallah, London

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IRENA NEMCOVA, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

“We managed to bring most of the participants from the city’s two synagogues to pray in one minyan, which was really nice. There were many parents and children from the local Jewish school who don’t normally participate in Shab-bat services. The synagogue was full. Having over 100 people at each of our services was unprecedented.”Ô

NISA FELPS, BALTIMORE, USA

“In LA, we hosted an incredible 13 Challah Bakes, and countless dinners, lunches, gatherings and programmes. With all the advertising efforts and participation all around the city, we touched approximately 20 000 Jews.”Ô

SIMONE ABELSOHN – SAN DIEGOTell us about the San Diego organisation.The organisation was founded by Selwyn Isakow and Robyn Lich-ter in 2014, after South Africa’s 2013 Shabbat Project went global. They took what South Africa was doing and customised a version that worked for our city, calling it “Shabbat San Diego”. Although there are many Jews in San Diego, the number that are practising is dwindling and we see this project as a chance to not only create a strong, united community, but also to help re-establish a strong Jewish spirit and Jewish connection within the community.

In 2017, we streamlined our organisation. We have one full-time project coordinator (me), two chairs, a steering committee and hundreds of volunteers. The members of our steering committee chair the sub-committees. These sub-committees include:

• Events – Challah Bakes, Havdallah and community concert, Shabbat meals, lectures, hikes and special services.

• Partners – Synagogues, schools, various community organisations.

• CoAct – Year-round events and support for our partners.• Community Connectors – Influential people reaching out to

neighbours in their communities.• Target and cultural groups – Young parents, college students,

special needs, LGBTQ, museums, military, teens, seniors, interfaith, Latin Americans, Mexican Americans, Canadian Americans, Persian Americans, Israeli Americans, Russian Americans, South African Americans…

• Marketing – Communications, media and website.• Spiritual – Creating and facilitating deep, meaningful Shabbat

experiences.• Finance – Budgeting, monitoring expenditures and raising

funds needed to run our programmes.• Community Leadership Council (CLC) – Community leaders

participating in conference calls to learn about and promote Shabbat San Diego within their communities.

Our steering committee does more than just plan one weekend of events. We create a year-round experience utilising our partners’ events to reach every Jew in San Diego. As the steering committee, we meet around seven times a year, mainly leading up to the big weekend; however, we stay in touch throughout the year. Our volunteers are diverse and everyone has a voice. They range in age from teens to seniors. All levels of observance are represented. We offer a chair at the table to every rabbi, organisation CEO and school in town.

We are diverse people working together, able to compromise with each other and recognise people for who they are, rather than who we feel they should be. We have introduced people who would never otherwise have met or become friends and now they are like family. My goal is to create a stronger, united Jewish community that everyone will want to be part of, and our own SSD organisation is a beautiful microcosm of that.

Tell us a bit about yourself.I was born in San Diego to parents who’d recently emigrated from South Africa. I have a background in teaching, paralegal work and real estate. I love San Diego and my work as a realtor gives me the opportunity to share with my clients the beauty of this spectacular city.

In my spare time, I volunteer! I am on the board of the San Diego Jewish Federation and my local synagogue. I am also part of the Anti-Defamation League’s Alumni and No Place for Hate committees, among other local committees and organisations.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project? What motivated you to become a partner?In 2014, I was talked into attending the Challah Bake with a friend. I was struck by the feeling of unity and togetherness. Then and there I knew I wanted to be involved.

With my volunteer work taking up most of my time, my mother thought I should enquire about a paid position, and sent my resume to a few of her friends. Luckily, Selwyn was one of these friends. Selwyn and I had a brief meeting, where he asked me what my inter-ests were. A few months later, I arrived back home from Berlin and Israel with 26 other young adult leaders from the San Diego Jewish community to a message from Selwyn inviting me for coffee at his office. Robyn joined us and our meeting lasted a few hours. Two weeks later, I started as Shabbat San Diego’s programme coordinator.

City Captain InterviewCity Stories

LAUREN KAVNAT, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

“The feeling that was created when the community came together in celebration of Shabbat made you feel a deep sense of belonging, that you are a part of something bigger than yourself, your family or even your Sydney community.” Ô

AVITAL, KIRYAT GAT, ISRAEL

“On Friday night there was activity that brought together around 50 members of the Bnei Akiva and Tzofim (Scouts) youth movements. After some ice-breaker games, there were circles of discussion, and great, healthy ideological debates, as we got to understand each other better. We want to get together like this more often.” Ô


Challah Bake, San Diego

“You feel a deep sense of belonging, that you are a part of something bigger than yourself...” - Lauren Kavnat


SIMONE ABELSOHN, SAN DIEGO, USA

“In San Diego, we had 5 000 families register for The Shabbat Project, over 400

‘official’ home-based Friday night dinners, and over 50 communal dinners. Altogether, our six regional Challah Bakes

– including the first ever cross-border event for Tijuana – drew thousands of participants.”Ô

BERYL COHEN, SEATTLE, USA

“Four years ago, we had just 200 participants, so we are very happy that the numbers are growing each year. This year, our goal was over 500, and we were thrilled to achieve that. The spectacle of so many people, old and young, from all over Seattle, streaming into the community centre was quite a sight to see. We heard that the freeway exit was backed up for miles as cars arrived at the venue. There was such a buzz as people connected with old friends and made new friends. Our theme was ‘Generation to Generation’. We paid tribute to the oldest person at last year’s Challah Bake, who unfortu-nately passed away during the year, and we welcomed our future Challah Bakers with a video of children from differ-ent preschools making challah. The feeling of knowing that we were participating in the same project with Jewish communi-ties all over the world was so powerful.”Ô

Take us through some of the most successful events and initiatives you’ve run.Over the past four years, we have drawn thousands to Challah Bakes and Havdallah Concerts, placed thousands at Shabbat meals and Shabbat accommodation, held scores of pre- and post-Shabbat events, organised Shabbat hikes, hosted Yiddish poetry evenings, introduced Torah learning opportunities, and so much more. We even arranged a Hamantaschen Bake for 450 people on Purim last year.

Each event has had its own unique success. This year, one of our five Challah Bakes crossed over the Mexican border into Tijuana. Another brought together 15 partners who have coexisted within a five-mile radius for years, but had never come together for anything in the past. Com-munities of different levels of observance and different denominations have come together for meals and lec-tures. It has been inspiring and eye-opening to see just what’s possible.

In 2018, we are coordinating a communitywide Jewish Cul-ture Week leading up to The Shabbat Project weekend. Our partners will hold scores of events from Sunday morning through Thursday before the Challah Bakes.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?Programme formatThe challenge of not losing the ethos of the global Shabbat Project, while developing a programme appealing to and meeting the needs of a culturally diversified, broad range of denominations. This includes the 3% who are strictly observant, as well as the over 80% unaffiliated and the interfaith families in our organisationally uncoordinated Jewish community.

Geographic dispersionSan Diego County is about the size of the state of Connecticut and the Jewish population is broadly dispersed and highly fragmented. Shabbat San Diego has sub-committees focused on geographic and heritage communities to ensure the broadest coverage. We have expanded to five decentralised mega Challah Bakes for greater convenience and access, each having their own character, including a cross-border event. This year there were over 700 Shabbat communal and private hosted dinners happening across the city.

OrganisationA significant challenge is attracting volunteers. Fortunately, in 2014, we were able to engage key, well-connected community members. They in turn brought on-board many of their friends who now devote themselves to the programme and around whom we have since built a much more diversified and extensive volunteer organisation. Now we have hundreds of volunteers and outstanding chairs of our 52 committees.

Involving organisational partnersPersuading the 130 local organisations or offices of national and international organisations to participate in Shabbat San Diego and remain involved. We continue to meet one-on-one to promote creating a strong, vibrant, cohesive community benefiting every organisation.

Raising funds for free eventsOur annual budget is about $350 000, of which around 40% is provided in kind. Going forward, the challenge is to maintain interest by creating innovative programming and to attract new volunteers and new event participants.

Has Shabbat San Diego been a force for unity/positive change in the community? Shabbat San Diego is the largest Jewish communal event in San Diego history and is very much a force for unity and positive change in our community, bringing together diverse partner organisations and individuals. This year, for example, two exceptional volunteers arranged a Challah Bake in North County, bringing together 15 organisations, including five synagogues all from different denominations.

We share our resources with any local organisation, including vol-unteer support and small financial contributions.

We again witnessed this unity throughout this year’s Shabbat San Diego weekend, and perhaps most poignantly at last year’s Havdallah Concert, when representatives of almost every synagogue, school and major organisation in the city got up on stage together, each holding a candle representing Unity, Appreciation and Hope.

Why do you think The Shabbat Project is something that cuts across divisions and appeals to all kinds of Jews?Our stated objectives are: individuals having the most meaningful Shabbat yet; building community unity; and participating in a global Jewish pride, identity and solidarity event. We try to create value for the community by increasing spiritual awareness, and fostering unity through inclusivity, respect and cooperation, irrespective of denomination, affiliations, political views, lifestyle, age or gender.

Probably a key advantage is that we are an independent, self-fund-ed, inclusive volunteer organisation with no association with ex-isting communal organisational politics.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners?Yes:• Get more volunteers and emphasise word-of-mouth

communication, information and marketing. • Use social media extensively. • Build organisational relationships to market your events. • Create a “friendship” experience and collaborative/fun

culture around the programme. • Involve a supportive, committed leadership.Ô

City Stories

Challah Bake, Johannesburg

Personal Stories

JANET PELEG, AMIRIM, ISRAEL

“As a child, we always had Kabbalat Shabbat in our kibbutz. The Amirim moshav, where I live today, also used to have a Friday night service, but stopped a number of years ago. I missed having this weekly introduction into Shabbat, and wanted it back. The Shabbat Project gave me a reason to renew the old tradition once again. Many came to our service and had a wonderful time. A former Amirim resident visited us over Shabbat and sang a special song that belongs to this community and had not been sung for many years.” Ô

PAULA YODOWITZ, FLORIDA, USA

“My friend Tara visits me in Florida each year and many of her visits have been on the weekend of The Shabbat Project. We have done many things in honour of this special event, including reading passages from my siddur on the beach, singing Shabbat songs and reciting prayers, even reading selections from The Jewish Book of Why, reminders of things we thought we knew already. We hope to continue this tradition in years to come and to keep finding new ways to celebrate The Shabbos Project.”Ô

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THE SHABBATSHOE BOX

WHAT IS IT?Decorative Shabbat Shoe Boxes filled with toiletries to distribute to those in need. Jewish nursery schools around South Africa ran with the project, giving toddlers a wonderful opportunity to be involved in The Shabbat Project, and at the same time, brighten up people’s lives.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?• An empty shoebox• Decorations• Toiletry items such as deodorant, shampoo, conditioner,

soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, body lotion/hand cream, wash cloths, etc. It could also be a range of other essentials, or even Shabbat items such as candles.

WHERE WAS IT HELD?The team at The Shabbat Project HQ in Johannesburg got the Shabbat Shoe Box idea going, encouraging nursery school kids to: “Box it. Wrap it. Give it.”

HOW DID IT GO?Nursery school kids around the country filled and distributed Shabbat Shoe Boxes. These were wrapped and decorated by the kids, and packed with essential daily toiletries, for beneficiaries of various Jewish welfare organisations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Toiletries were chosen for the boxes based on the rec-ommendations of the welfare organisations, who explained that their beneficiaries spend all of their income on food, and personal hygiene often gets sacrificed.

GOOD TO KNOW• Get your community’s kids in on the gift-giving fun by

having them decorate their container of choice. Let them think of what they feel people would like most to receive to help them prepare for Shabbat.

• Speak to your local welfare organisations to find out what their beneficiaries most urgently require.

Jolene Swartz (coordinator):“Kids love to give almost as much as they love to receive. And if they can decorate the box they are giving it in, that’s the cherry on the top!”Ô

Who to contact for info/ideas?Jolene Swartz | [email protected]

Innovation

INSPIRED TEL AVIV - GEDALIA GUTTENTAGTell us about your ITV organisation.ITV (Inspired Tel Aviv) was set up four years ago to bring in-spirational Jewish education and programming to Tel Aviv’s community of international young professionals. A major aspect of our organisation is a Shabbat programme, which we run two or three times a month, for between 70 and 100 people, including Kabbalat Shabbat, dinner plus Oneg till late. We also run weekly class-es, one-on-one learning, social events and trips across Israel. Many of our events depend on the active participation of vol-unteers in marketing and event management.

Who are you guys?Besides my wife, Mimi, and I, the team comprises Rabbi Raphael and Rachel Raiton and Rabbi Avi Hill. We are a diverse team each bringing different talents to the table. My wife, Mimi and I are originally from England and have been living in Israel for almost 11 years. We love to see different national-ities and types of Jews come together and create inspiring, special Friday night meals in the heart of Tel Aviv.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project? What motivated you to become a partner?We were sold on this beauti-ful idea the moment we heard about the first Shabbat Project in South Africa. What’s more special than sharing this amaz-ing day with Jews from all over the world? As an organisation whose genesis was Shabbat pro-gramming, we naturally felt that this was something we wanted to get involved in. Every year, The Shabbat Project generates tremendous energy across Tel Aviv, and we recognise that this is a great time to get new people involved in experiencing the magic of Shabbat.

Take us through some of the most successful events and initiatives you’ve run.We first took part in The Shabbat Project four years ago, running a Challah Bake event. It was small, but everyone who was there remembers this special start to The Shabbat Project in Tel Aviv. The following year, our organisation helped coordinate the massive Shabbat meal (1 000 participants) at the Tel Aviv port. As a centrepiece, we brought a 1.5-metre-long challah to the event, which we’d used the day before as a photographic backdrop at the communal Challah Bake.


ZIVA SIMONI, KRAKOW, POLAND

“I was on an Israeli delegation of parents and children to Poland. On Friday we celebrated The Shabbat Project with a Kiddush at a restaurant in a square in Krakow. A square that once bustled with Jews and was once surrounded by synagogues. The same square from which thousands of Jews were transported to Auschwitz during World War II. And now the next generation that has grown up in the State of Israel was passing through. I brought candles and the flag of Israel and challah and wine for Kiddush and our wonderful song books. We sang and it was great.”Ô

ALLEN MACGAFFEY, ATLANTA, USA

“After participating in the 2015 Shabbos Project, I undertook a conversion course, which I completed in May of this year. Since then, I look forward to the project and sign up as soon as the dates are announced, letting all my friends know what I plan to do for this special Shabbat. This year, my goal was to help someone who didn’t have a place for meals or a place to stay. I posted on social media all month, but to no avail. But the last time I checked Facebook on erev Shabbat, I saw a friend’s post about someone needing a place. I instantly messaged him, he sent along the person’s details, and before long I had a guest. It turned out he was in the process of conversion, just like I was a few years ago. This year, Atlanta was hosting a massive block party lunch for more than 800 people, but I decided to opt for something quieter, eating lunch with some friends nearby. Our hosts warmly welcomed my guest into their home and he now has a standing invitation at their table. It will be sad to leave my community here in Atlanta, but I look forward to bringing my love for The Shabbat Project to Israel as I’ll be making aliyah to Jerusalem in June 2018.”Ô

Personal Stories

Shabbat Shoe Box, Johannesburg


Last year, ITV decided to host its own themed dinner, called “Shabbat Around the World”, an evening experi-encing Jewish cuisine and culture from across the globe. To add to the magic, we held the dinner on a rooftop over-looking the city. To encourage involvement in a complete Shabbat, we also ran a number of events the following day, including a cholent-and-beer Shabbat lunch, a walking tour of “Tel Aviv’s hidden history”, a third meal, and a musical Havdallah.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?One organisational challenge is to innovate from year to year, bringing fresh ideas to the table. The solution we’ve found is in building events through volunteers; bringing on board new people automat-ically results in an influx of new, innovative ideas.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is progressing from the Jewish cultural aspect of Shabbat into actual Shabbat observance, which is where the true power of Shabbat can be experienced. Obviously, it’s only one annual Shabbat, but the idea is to use this Shabbat as a catalyst to ongoing interest through the rest of the year.

Even more than the big spectacles and joyous celebrations, The Shabbat Project is all about the personal stories – the personal growth and Jewish discovery. Are there any stories you could share with us?The Shabbat Project has struck a chord in everyone’s heart. It has made Shabbat accessible to everyone without being threatening in any way. There is one young lady who joined ITV, and actually decided to keep Shabbat three years ago with The Shabbat Project. After that week, she felt she wanted to do it again, and she would set her TV with an alarm clock. But eventually after a few weeks she didn’t need to do that anymore. Since then she has not missed a single Shabbat and this has prompt-ed her to learn about Judaism. She told us: “It’s been the big-gest gift in my life!” It’s these stories that give us the encour-agement to continue. It’s in-credible that this one, simple idea has changed peoples’ lives around the world.Ô

FARRYN ZUCKERMAN, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

“The Shabbos Project feels like Shabbos on steroids. Seeing three-times-a-year Jews walking around Sea Point made this Shabbos seem like a High Holiday. As a family, we recently began keeping Shabbos all year round. It has brought us the opportunity to switch off from the daily buzz and allowed us to switch on to each other. We know whatever the pressures of the rest of the week, from Friday afternoon, it becomes irrelevant to us. It truly is an island of calm.”Ô

Personal Stories

“The Shabbos Project feels like Shabbos on steroids.”- Farryn Zuckerman

ALYSSA BAUMGARTEN, MIAMI, USA

“I helped organise 17 Challah Bakes throughout Florida. Considering Florida had recently suffered from Hurricane Irma, it is amazing that any events actually materialised. Many people were without power and air conditioning for weeks after the storm. Then we went right into the Jewish holidays. We had an entire state of ‘exhausted’ people. But Floridians mustered their best efforts and pulled off 17 sold-out inspirational Challah Bakes, each with their own special flair.”Ô

LEONID VAYNER, BROOKLYN, USA

“There were 96 people – 27 Russian-speaking families with children ranging from ages five to 16 – celebrating Shabbat together. Most were unobservant and unaffiliated; this is the one and only time a year they get a chance to experience Shabbat. We had two Russian-speaking rabbis with their own families leading the event. A number of the participants asked afterwards whether smaller-scale community Shabbat experiences could be recreated on a monthly basis. This was a very special experience for everyone involved.”Ô

RABBI MOSHE DAVID HACOHEN, MALMÖ, SWEDEN

“A full Shabbat programme in Malmö, including a Challah Bake, Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday night dinner, Shabbat lunch, and a special shul service led by the children. It was wonderful to see people who had never been to shul before. We had 52 in the evening and 60 during the day, including 20 children. We also had 15 at the Challah Bake, held in our home, which was intimate and really special. The community members were appreciative of the effort and really felt that this is something that they would like to do more often. They felt that our little Shabbaton connected us to all the other participating communities around the world.”Ô

City Stories

Challah Bake, Cape Town

Havdallah, Pinsk

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Personal StoriesCity StoriesCity Stories

DANIELA LOWINGER, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

“The Shabbat Project was everywhere. Posters were seen in Jewish restaurants and supermarkets, schools and synagogues. Weekly email messages where sent through schools and community Web pages with tips for Shabbat and reminding people of the activities to come. WhatsApp messages spread pictures of Shabbat Project committees working, people with signs of The Shabbat Project logo, videos of activities at schools. We also invited the small com-munity of Boquete, near the border with Costa Rica, to par-ticipate in the project, which they did, bringing the magic of ‘kneading together’ and a special Kabbalat Shabbat to that part of the country, for the first time. Our Challah Bake drew a record 1 250 women. The success of the event – held 10 days before the big Shab-bat – was the best advertising for all other activities. Fami-lies invited guests, there were communal dinners with more than a 100 people, teachers from one school invited their students for dinner in their homes, neighbours in one apartment building decided to have Shabbat dinner together, synagogues were full of new faces. To end off our most suc-cessful Shabbat Project yet, we held a Havdallah Concert for the first time, with more than 1 000 people in attendance. After such success, we have al-ready started working on next year’s Shabbat Project.”Ô

JESSICA KORSUNSKY, SAN DIEGO, USA

“Shabbat San Diego gave our community an amazing opportunity to shine. For the first time in years, the North County Jewish community came together

– 15 organisations who typically have nothing to do with each other. More than 200 excited guests came out and enjoyed making challah dough, learning to braid while listening to a great live musical performance. A crowd of families with children, several tables full of excited seniors and everything in between. There was a great feeling in the air, a sense that our small community is not so small after all. Shabbat San Diego gave us a huge gift, a sense of possibility that our often neglected community can grow and have a bright future.”Ô

MA’AYAN ELIASAF, DIMONA, ISRAEL

“There were almost 400 participants, it was an incredible atmosphere. There were different types of people from different backgrounds

– adults, youth, families, students. They were all excited and said it was amazing to see that, for the first time, there was such a Shabbat atmosphere in Dimona with all the Jewish symbols: challah, flowers, wine, a Kiddush cup, Shabbat songs – there was no such thing in Dimona before. Many people said they felt exuberant; the event was like a ‘charge’ filled with energy, and the fact that it was part of something big and not just happening in Dimona gave the event a different meaning.”Ô

ORI BERGMAN, BUFFALO, USA

“It began with spontaneous dancing at Kabbalat Shabbat, ending with passionate singing at the Havdallah Concert. It was amazing to have so many people. An inspirational experience. There were great Shabbat-themed handouts, lots of food, lots of people, lots of connections made, and many who came to the shul for the first time.”Ô

BENJY SINGER, JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

“We held a seudah shlishit gathering in Jerusalem for young professionals from really diverse backgrounds. The Shabbat Project is proof you can take a group of people who otherwise would not have been together and, in the right atmosphere, create unity and cohesiveness.”Ô

Havdallah, Panama

Challah Bake, San Diego

“There was a great feeling in the air, a sense that our small community is not so small after all.” - Jessica Korsunsky

MARCELLE MERVIS, POTOMAC, USA

“Across the Greater Washington area, we had more than 1 200 people involved in eight different citywide events, run by organisations from all segments of the community. This was a massive step up from previous years. Among the most memorable events was a “Pink Challah Bake” in commemoration of breast cancer awareness month, with free BRCA gene testing on offer as well as a sumptuous breakfast. Everyone wore pink. We sang and danced as the challah was rising and it was beautiful. There was also a wonderful event held at Charles E Smith Jewish Day School in partnership with Aish Hatorah, and an inter-generational Challah Bake for men and women at the Har Shalom Congregation in Potomac. Many of the participating families were represented by four generations. The oldest participant was 102! The following evening, members of Har Shalom hosted each other for Shabbat dinner as part of their “Sharing Shabbat” programme, while a Shabbat dinner at the University of Maryland gave a number of students their first real taste of Shabbat.” Ô

our small community is not so small

after all

“Shabbat San Diego gave our community an amazing opportunity to shine. For the first time in years, the North County Jewish community came together – 15 organisations who typically have nothing to do with each other. More than 200 excited guests came out and enjoyed making challah dough, learning to braid while listening to a great live musical performance. A crowd of families with children, several tables full of excited seniors and everything in between. There was a great feeling in the air, a sense that our small community is not so small after all. Shabbat San Diego gave us a huge gift, a sense of possibility that our often neglected community can grow and have a bright future.”

Jessica Korsunsky, San Diego, USA

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everything just felt right

“Two years ago, my family decided to join The Shabbos Project. We had never before kept Shabbos. After the 25 hours were over, I had such a great feeling. We participated again last year, and for some reason I felt even better. This year, everything just felt right. Tomorrow we will be moving to a new residence within the Plano eruv, and within walking distance of shul, so we can keep Shabbos. I would like to thank everyone who showed us what Shabbos is all about.”

Ilana Panush, Plano, Texas

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ROEE ZELTSER, NETANYA, ISRAEL What is Tarbut Toranit?We are the Jewish-focused affiliate of Israel’s Ministry of Education. We run Jewish educational programmes and events in 140 municipalities across the country. In Netanya, we run numerous projects, including taking high school students on trips to important Jewish and Biblical historical sites, running events to commemorate the Jewish festivals, hosting educational classes, etc.

For the past few years, you’ve worked together with the Mu-nicipality of Netanya to bring The Shabbat Project to the city. Tell us about this partnership.It started with the mayor... Rabbi Goldstein wrote a letter to her telling her about The Shabbat Project.

Netanya is a diverse city. Russian immigrants. Ethiopian immigrants. Observant. Non-observant. Our mayor tries very hard to accommodate different perspectives, bring different demographics together, and keep everyone happy. She has done a great job. When Rabbi Goldstein told her about a project on Shabbat that’s inclusive and accessible to all kinds of Jews, she welcomed it.

We started small, we wanted to test the waters. By the second and third year, we invested more money and went big, hosting multiple events.

We’d like to know a bit about you.I’m the head of Tarbut Toranit’s Netanya branch. I introduced Tanya [Harati, head of Shabbat Project operations in Israel] and Rabbi Goldstein to one of the top officials in the Educational Ministry, and from there we spread the project to 140 municipalities. I’m passionate about Jewish education. My goal is to help people experience the beauty of our heritage. The Shabbat Project is a great way of doing that.

What motivated you to become a Shabbat Project partner?It’s a project with big ideals and big objectives. It’s very exciting – all the Jews in the world keeping Shabbat together. Jewish unity is something really precious to me. Seeing Jews come together makes me happy, and gives me hope. I wanted it to succeed and I’m overjoyed that it did succeed.


SIGAL SHEKARCHI, TORONTO, CANADA

“Thank you for inspiring us to spend a Shabbat with our children – no distractions, no emails or calls, no Instagram or errands! We thank you for that and for giving us the push to bring a meaningful Shabbat into our lives!”Ô

TOVA STRAHLBERG-SCHWED, MIAMI, USA

“A neighbour and I joined forces. We knocked on any door with a mezuzah on our long block, and invited people for Friday night dinner. Most, though not Shabbat observant, were delighted to accept the invitation. It truly was a Shabbat of unity.”Ô

Personal StoriesCity Stories

SARA BOXER, JERSEY SHORE, USA

“The sold-out Challah Bake attracted 600 women and girls. The attendees, of vary-ing levels of observance and affiliation to Judaism, entered a transformed Lake Terrace – complete with an oversized heart made entirely of chal-lah and bathed in candlelight. After a spirited burst of danc-ing closed out the evening, 600 women braided their challahs and headed for home. Some left with Shabbat guests, some with Shabbat invitations, some with new braiding tech-niques, and some with new-found, fledgling relationships

– but every single one departed with two loaves of challah and a hearty dose of inspiration. The event may have lasted a few short hours, but the ca-maraderie, passion, discovery, unity, perspective, and pride in our heritage will live on indefinitely. One particularly moving anecdote came from the administrator of an assist-ed living facility. One of the residents attended the Challah Bake and baked challah for the first time in her life; she raved enthusiastically about the night, saying it was ‘one of the top experiences of her whole life’.”Ô

ELAN KORNBLUN, BROOKLYN, USA

“The idea was just hatched a few days before and we only had a short amount of time to get the word out, but the power of social media kicked in and we had a full house of guests, many who hadn’t had a Shabbos lunch in years, some in decades. It was incredible, the feeling of warmth and love, the food and the singing, the togetherness. When people were leaving, you could tell that they had just experienced what it meant to be Jewish on Shabbos. And it wasn’t any-thing crazy or out of the or-dinary. Just friends, old and new, sitting together with no cell phone, eating good food, talking with each other and, most importantly, listening. After everyone had gone, I re-alised something – that while I was trying to show the guests what Shabbos could mean to them, everyone who was there showed me what Shabbos meant to me. And for that, I’m grateful.”Ô

Take us through some of the most successful events and initiatives you’ve run in Netanya.We’ve had more than 500 people at our musical Havdallah and Challah Bake events. There was the Kiddush Binyani initiative – Shabbat morning Kiddush gatherings held in scores of apartment buildings around the city, bringing together residents of diverse backgrounds. We’ve held Kiddush celebrations in the park. The list goes on.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?Firstly, attracting people to these events. It’s not easy getting 500 women to come out in winter right after all the Jewish festivals. But we’ve had 500+ at our Challah Bake every year.

Secondly, some people aren’t comfortable with the municipality promoting events related to Shabbat. They say: “Why don’t we do the opposite – open the clubs?” Surprisingly, though, not many have felt this way. There hasn’t been too much resistance and the vast majority of people are very supportive of the project.

Why do you think Shabbat/The Shabbat Project is something that cuts across divisions and appeals to all kinds of Jews?Shabbat has magic. It’s a heavenly gift, it goes beyond a natural explanation. The uniqueness of The Shabbat Project is its simplicity. You don’t necessarily have to arrange big, expensive events. Everyone can take part. And people drive these initiatives themselves. Usually people are waiting for us to organise events around the Jewish festivals, etc. With The Shabbat Project, people took responsibility – the Kiddush Binyani initiative, for example. This came from the residents themselves. I had nothing to do with it. I think the secret is, we aren’t forcing Shabbat down people’s throats; they, themselves, are hungry for it. Ô

Challah Bake, Miami

Challah Bake, Toronto

MARTINE VOGELMAN, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

“We went to the Sea Point unity dinner on Friday night, along with 650 people. We walked to shul and back. We had a quiet family Havdallah at home. No driving, no cell phones, no screens. It was a beautiful opportunity to talk to each other instead of walking past each other in the passage while looking at our phones. We played a board game – I can’t even remember the last time we did that. This Shabbos brought us together as a family in a way we don’t normally get to experience because everyone’s generally doing their own thing.”Ô

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UNITY GRANTSWHAT IS IT?Monetary grants awarded to three or more different synagogues or Jewish organisations who come together to hold a joint Shabbat Project event or initiative. The idea is to encourage cooperation and camaraderie between communities and organisations who wouldn’t ordinarily work together or attend the same event. It also helps foster a spirit of creativity and innovation, as organisations have to think “out of the box” in order to create events/initiatives that appeal to diverse demographics.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?Funding. And a way to get the word out. Note: you don’t need to fund the entire event. The grant is only meant to be an added incentive. Grant funding can be supplemented independently by the organisations/synagogues involved either through existing budget or by charging for the event.

WHERE WAS IT HELD?The Unity Grants initiative was pioneered in South Africa in 2017.

HOW DID IT GO?• A total of 13 grants were disbursed to more than 30 recipient

synagogues and organisations, totalling around $10 000. • Among the most successful were the Sandton Havdallah

Concert and Friday night “Dark Tisch”, which brought together not just the three main synagogues (the official “hosts”) in Johannesburg’s CBD, but also a number of smaller satellite shuls. The events drew around 600 people.

• In Cape Town, a Friday night street dinner bringing together four Sea Point synagogues, as well as kids and parents from the local Jewish day school, had to be moved inside due to the wind, and still drew 650 people (a Cape Town record).

• And in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, Pine Street Hebrew Congregation, Chabad of Norwood, and the Chassidim Shul joined together for a unity mincha, third meal, maariv and musical Havdallah.

• Elsewhere in Johannesburg, three of the more “yeshivish” communities united for a full-day Torah learning programme around the laws of beautifying Shabbat.

• There was also an uplifting Challah Bake for the elderly, jointly run by four local social welfare organisations.

Innovation

GOOD TO KNOW• Given limited budget, it’s far better to give smaller grants

to a number of recipients than larger grants to one or two recipients.

• Shuls and organisations need to be notified of the grants months in advance so that partnerships can be crystallised and events properly planned and marketed.

• Provide guidance early on, and/or resources to help participants plan their events.

• If initial take-up is slow, try suggesting partnerships, give people a concrete idea and provide some impetus.

• The prospect of partnerships between groups/organisations that don’t traditionally see “eye-to-eye” can be a compelling sell to a donor. At the same time, they shouldn’t be forced. Some synagogues are simply not going to be able to partner with others. In general, differences need to be navigated smartly and creatively.

• Partnerships shouldn’t just be rabbi-to-rabbi. Get groups within shuls and organisations to partner – youth leaders, women’s guilds, etc. The key is to find passionate people to drive the events.

Siobhan Wilson (coordinator):“Shabbat will always be Shabbat, but The Shabbos Project thrives on dynamic ideas and new innovations. Despite its simplicity, the Unity Grants is a novel idea; it can bring communities together who’ve never mingled in the past and can help create a buzz and get people excited. If done well, it can revitalise the entire community. You don’t even necessarily need extensive budget. It’s about planting a seed. In the end, the events and partnerships you’ve helped encourage and nurture will take on a life of their own. Often, shuls and organisations will only be too willing to invest their own funds in something this unique.”Ô

City Stories

TALIA HAYKIN, DENVER, USA

“We had 700 at the Colorado Challah Bake. It was all about unity. There were women in the room who’d never baked a challah a day in their life. There were women who bake every Friday. There were multiple generations. All different denominations and friends from across the spectrum. Every demographic you could think of within a community — we had it in that room.”Ô

LAVI OLAMI, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

“We made Kiddush, we ate, danced, sang at the Shabbat table with 40 students from ages 16 to 25. We celebrated well into the night.”Ô

YOHANA ALVARADO, CANCUN, MEXICO

“In the small coastal community of Cancun, we had 100 women at the Challah Bake, and 70 at our Friday night event, many of whom put aside their normal weekend activities and kept a full Shabbat. Some stayed in a hotel close to the shul, others walked far distances to shul. At the end, during Havdallah, some people sang and danced, other cried.” Ô

TOVA ZUSSMAN, DENVER, USA

“Three-hundred-and-fifty at a sold-out joint Friday night service bringing together two local Conservative and Orthodox communities. Really great Shabbat atmosphere, an inspirational guest speaker, and a diverse crowd of all ages and backgrounds. Everyone loved it.”Ô


City Stories

ROBIN MEYERSON, PHOENIX, USA

“At our Challah Bake, we had a ‘Shabbos Shuk’ to add more Jewish education to the programme. We had vendors teaching the parsha and about mikvah; we had cholent- and wine-tasting, we gave out Shabbos candles, and had Shabbat-related Jewish art and Judaica on sale. It was incredible. More than 600 women came, 90% unobservant and completely unaffiliated. Challah coaches invited those at their tables for dinner. We had a number of people keep their first Shabbat. They had a great time and want to do it again!”Ô

“It was just a magical experience - the family bonding, the quiet, the disconnecting. Just one Shabbat, together.”- Aviv Alush

BERNARD AND ETIENNE SCHWARTZ, AMMAN, JORDAN

“Shabbat Shalom greetings from Amman, Jordan. Yes, across the river we are keeping Shabbat. Challah rising and salmon being prepared for supper. How wonderful to be part of this project!Ô

AVIV ALUSH, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

“This is an amazing project. A worldwide Shabbat that all of us keep together – observant, not observant, less connected, more connected. I think there’s something so beautiful and unifying in it. Personally, I first encountered The Shabbat Project three years ago and I remember telling my wife,

‘Yalla, let’s give it a shot, what do we have to lose?’ And it was just a magical experience – the family bonding, the quiet, the disconnecting. Just one Shabbat, together.”Ô

Personal Stories

Challah Bake, Brooklyn

Shabbat Meal, Mbale

BECKY KRINSKY,SAN DIEGO, USA

“This year, The Shabbat Project, through ‘Shabbat San Diego’, touched our hearts and made San Diego’s South Bay sparkle. Our Challah Bake, held near the US-Mexico border and partnering with the com-munity of Tijuana, Mexico, was, I believe, the first ever cross-border Shabbat Project event. For a long time, Tijuana embraced its Mexican Jewish immigrant population. This almost forgotten centre was once a thriving Jewish community. With the passing of time, most of the community became US citizens and moved to live all over San Diego County. This Shabbat, however, we united the new and the old, past and present. It was a magical day for all, especially for those with deep roots in San Diego and Tijuana.”Ô

SHIMRIT SHLOMOVITCH STEIN, GIVATAYIM, ISRAEL

"Shabbat always sounded to me to be something full of prohibitions. Nothing can be done. After I had experienced it, I realised that this was the only time I was allowed to be quiet with myself, with my family. There was no housework. It was an expe-rience that is hard to describe. No one made us keep Shabbat, it flowed automatically. My daughters wait the whole year for this Shabbat."Ô

FANNY LEVY, LIMA, PERU

“In Lima, we had 240 people attend a Challah Bake at a local school. After sifting 600 kilos of flour to make hundreds of loaves, we spontaneously broke out into Rikudim [Israeli folk dance]. The best part was seeing all the photos afterwards – the feeling of joy on the faces of all the women doing this sacred Jewish rite. This was our fourth year participating and we have put together the proceeds of all four Challah Bakes to create a special app with Jewish classes to educate the community.”Ô

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ALYSSA BAUMGARTEN, MIAMITell us about your Miami organisation.We are very much a decentralised organisation, playing more of a facilitative role rather than directly coordinating events. There are more than 500 000 Jews living in South Florida, and you simply can’t micromanage a community of this size. Each individual community has their own committee – there are 17 such committees throughout the state that I know of. Each has its own flavour. My primary task is to reach out to communities and get them motivated; bringing on-board new communities and Jewish organisations, getting them started, offering guidance and direction, putting them in touch with other communities who have run Shabbat Project events in the past, and who can share their own ideas. Offering any support and encouragement I can.

Tell us a bit about yourself.By training, I’m an attorney and family mediator. I also do a lot of volunteer work in community. I am involved with my children’s school, the Chevrah Kadisha, Bikkur Cholim, our local shul. And for the past number of years I’ve devoted significant effort and energy towards The Shabbat Project. We live in a very stratified communi-ty, but I guess I’m someone able to connect with people of all back-grounds and dispositions.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project? What motivated you to become a partner?I saw the initial video [following the introduction of The Shabbos Project in South Africa in 2013], and I was floored. A Jewish unity project focused on Shabbos… what could be better? It’s simple and it’s ingenious. I felt immediately that this was something I had to bring to Miami.

To get this off the ground in 2014, we sent out emails to more than 1 700 organisations throughout South Florida – synagogues, schools, JCCs, whatever email addresses we could get our hands on. Some replied enthusiastically, wanting to know how they could be in-volved, some didn’t respond, some emails bounced back. Over the years, more communities have come on-board, others have fallen by the wayside, but overall, we are growing. And the events them-selves are attracting greater numbers each year. Of course, this is no major achievement of mine; it’s a testament to the project that its success is self-generating.

Take us through some of the most successful events and initiatives you’ve run.For the first year, we went with a big-bang launch at the Miami Beach Convention Centre. The Challah Bake ended up drawing almost 5 000 women and girls, which really brought the project to people’s attention. We wanted to go big and we did.

I’d say it was beyond our wildest expectations, but the truth is, it wasn’t. We figured there were around 250 000 Jewish females in the region – of course we could get 5 000 people! It’s a no-brain-er, right? I don’t know what we were thinking. Unless you’re a big musical act or a major sports team, that size crowd is not a normal thing. People said we were crazy, that it was a waste of money. And indeed, there was very little support at the beginning. I don’t know what possessed me to think this could be done, it was foolish in a certain sense. The venue alone costs tens of thousands of dollars to hire. Somehow, though, we managed to raise the money, enough to make the event free. At first we were going to charge, but at the last minute we were able to cover it completely and open it up to the public.

In the days and weeks leading up to the event, I went to kosher restaurants, supermarkets, etc, and gave them tickets to give their customers. All of a sudden these free tickets were all over town. People were excited – everyone likes free stuff. The event itself was incredible, the electricity and excitement were palpable. We had a great, dynamic presenter leading the Challah Bake, but most people never heard a word she said – everyone was just so excited, talking to each other, singing. So many were moved by the experience.

In the aftermath, I had countless calls from people telling me how much they had enjoyed it. Total strangers would come up to me in the supermarket and tell me how the event had helped them reconnect to Judaism, that they’ve started lighting candles on Friday night or eating Shabbat dinner together as a family.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?Raising money. Even if it’s just a Challah Bake, donors want to feel their money has a lasting impact. “So what?” they’ll say. “Someone

City Captain Interview baked challah or had Shabbat dinner with friends, that’s not going to change peoples’ lives.” I disagree – this is a non-threatening first step into Judaism. For many, it’s their first genuine Jewish experience. And it’s a gateway to richer, deeper experiences. Unfortunately, not all donors see it that way, and it’s tough to convince them.

Has The Shabbat Project been a force for unity and positive change in the community? Absolutely. The diversity of participants is amazing. All of the people I interacted with from the 17 participating communities were so different. A group of women from a certain Reform community travelled an hour-and-a-half to meet me. All I’d done was send them an email. They ended up running a huge event for hundreds of people. Just the interactions between Jews of all backgrounds has been so inspiring to witness. There’s a newfound mutual respect. People venture out of their communities and comfort zones, they allow each other in.

I believe a secret to our survival as Jews is that we take care of each other and relate to each other like a family. This initiative fosters that feeling of family, and brings people together from all walks of life.

I remember on the day of 2014 Challah Bake in Miami, we received a phone call from the Palmer Trinity School, a private Episcopal school in Miami, asking if they could reserve a table at the event. The Shabbat Project liaison answering the phone gingerly told them that the evening would be focused on teaching Jewish values. The school said they understood that, but they saw our advertisement for the event in the newspaper and they felt that they wanted to send their Jewish students! Can you imagine – 10 Jewish girls who attend an Episcopal religious school came to the Miami Challah Bake! This was likely the only exposure these girls have ever had with anything Jewish.

There’s something about these Challah Bakes in particular that sparks a sense of sisterhood, that touches people’s souls, that awakens in people a desire to explore their heritage. And it makes them feel connected to other Jews. It’s complete-ly magical. These women and girls then bring this inspiration back home to their families. Are people becoming Shabbat observant en masse? No. Are they more in touch with their Judaism? Undoubtedly.

SHERRIE MOORE, RICHMOND, USA

“I was joining a family in Fredericksburg, Virginia for Shabbat on 27 October. I am from nearby Richmond, Virginia. I was browsing the Internet on 26 October when an ad for The Shabbat Project came on. I had no idea about this amazing movement. I was weeping at the beauty of it all. I decided to check and see if the event would be held in 2017, and found out that it was not only happening, but it was the next day. I searched to see if there was some type of gathering in my city or in Fredericksburg. Sadly, not this year. When I arrived in Fredericksburg the next day, I shared the story of The Shabbat Project with my friends, and we entered Shabbat with unity in our hearts. For the 2018 event, I am determined to work with the JCC and local synagogues so that we can run the project in Richmond, Virginia. I will also encourage the surrounding communities to join us. Just the idea of The Shabbat Project has touched me on many levels.”Ô

Personal Stories“Just the idea of The Shabbat Project has touched me on many levels.” -Sherrie Moore

Friday Night Dinner preparation, Johannesburg

Challah Bake, Istanbul


Why do you think Shabbat/The Shabbat Project is something that cuts across divisions and appeals to all kinds of Jews?Firstly, it’s a very simple concept. Shabbos is a cornerstone of Judaism. It’s something people are familiar with, even if they aren’t observant. Secondly, in our technologically-driven society, everyone is connected to their iPhone and constantly checking in on social media, and texting all hours of the day and night, and while it has been designed to make our lives easier, it’s actually making us more stressed out. We never turn off, not even on holiday or at home. There’s an appeal to having 25 hours off from all of this.

On a related point, people are inherently social beings; we crave connection with each other – face-to-face, not just via text or email. Even shopping has become something we do in front of a screen. We no longer go to a store and browse, talk to a sales clerk, bump into friends in the condiments aisle. Shabbat brings people face-to-face. It’s the human interaction we are hungry for and don’t even realise we are missing.

Given these recent dramatic shifts in society, I think The Shabbat Project has arrived at a very opportune time. I’m not sure whether 10 or 15 years ago it would have had this impact.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners?Just do it. Dive in. It seems daunting. The logistical requirements alone seem impossible, but enough people have done it, it is do-able. And it’s a very rewarding experience that will change you and change your community. You’re going to have an impact on people’s lives. How often do you get a chance to do that? How often do you get a chance to improve unity among the Jewish people or help someone kindle a Jewish connection? It’s within your power.Ô

PHRAN EDELMAN, ADAMSTOWN, USA

“There were 120 people at our Shabbaton at Camp Shoresh in Adamstown, Maryland. The event included a celebratory Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday night dinner, oneg Shabbat, Shabbat lunch, and various Shabbat events and activities. We had many families sleep over at the Shoresh campus to experi-ence a traditional Shabbat. For many of them it was their first time keeping a full Shabbat. Everyone loved it. Over the course of 25 hours, we formed a beautiful, cohesive group.”Ô

RABBI YOCHI ZIEGLER, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

“A remarkable Shabbat in Camps Bay. Nine new families keeping Shabbat. One woman said, ‘This is great – I could do this every week.’ At our com-munal lunch, while we were singing, 96-year-old Holocaust survivor Ella Blumenthal got up on her chair and started dancing. There were two kids who walked five kilometres through to neighbouring Sea Point to attend a friend’s bar mitzvah. A few families made arrangements to stay close by, renting airbnb apartments or staying at friends, just so they could walk to shul.”Ô

ELSA ROTH, BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE

“We had 29 at the Friday night service and 32 at the Shabbat dinner. Many of the congregants walked home from shul after the dinner, despite cold and drizzly weather. There were also 17 women at the Challah Bake. Considering there are only 52 souls in our community, some of whom are old and infirm, the turnout was amazing! As our community is very small, we all know each other very well – we are a very warm, close-knit community, and the spirit of friendship and belonging was palpable. We all felt the power of being together for this very special Shabbat. Everyone did their bit, be it baking challah, helping with the catering and decorating tables, making up the minyan, and being part of the whole experience.”Ô

City Stories

WHAT IS IT?A beautifully designed box filled with Shabbat and Havdallah candles, plus other essentials that accompany candle lighting on Shabbat.

WHERE WAS IT HELD?The South African Shabbat Project team created the beautiful Light Boxes filled with everything needed to bring light into a Jewish home.

HOW DID IT GO?Light Boxes, filled with a tzedakah tin, match box, Shabbat candles, a Havdallah candle and spices, plus reading material about candle lighting and Havdallah, were given to women across the community, and they were encouraged to use the contents to spread the light of Shabbat come candle lighting time on Friday evening.

GOOD TO KNOWUse the Light Box design created by HQ, or make one of your own. Include whatever you feel will make the experience a meaningful one.

Include a list of candle lighting times in your area, explaining the importance of lighting Shabbat candles at the correct time.

Heidi Hurwitz, Shabbat Project HQ:“Women have a natural affinity to light, and to bringing it to their homes and communities. The light box packages this in a convenient and inspiring way, to make this mitzvah even more attractive!”Ô

Innovation

THE LIGHT BOX

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JACQUELINE ZEITONI, BUENOS AIRESTell us a bit about yourself.I have a degree in communication and journalism. I’ve produced and created programming for TV and radio, and edited magazines. I’ve also done extensive volunteer work for organisations such as Keren Hayesod. I currently work in the Culture Ministry of Buenos Aires. I have dedicated many years to these activities, but 2014 was the year that changed my life. That was the year I began my involvement with The Shabbat Project. It remains the most impor-tant, most rewarding thing I’ve done in my entire life.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project?In March 2014, Rabbi Daniel Oppenheimer, who I have known since I was a child, shared with me an email he received from South Africa about that country’s experience with The Shabbat Project and inviting us to be partners on the project. From that moment I started working on bringing it to Buenos Aires. With perseverance, consistency, willingness, enthusiasm, joy, some disappointment, always confronting countless obstacles, I went ahead day by day. My dream was to bring The Shabbat Project to thousands of people in this city. The road was difficult, complicated, but inexplicably, this made it more tempting. I never took no for an answer. I saw the transformative potential of this project and I went all in. The journey has been magical, something I don’t fully understand. It has captured my mind and my soul.

How did you get things off the ground?I used my position at the Buenos Aires Culture Ministry to get The Shabbat Project adopted as an official local government initiative, and we’ve enjoyed great support over the years. I invited all the various community and spiritual leaders to join the project. Each one of them sent a representative who then formed a local organ-ising committee for their community. We also enlisted the help of an army of independent volunteers who were enthusiastic about the project. The first year was tremendously intense. This was something never seen before in Buenos Aires. With careful plan-ning and even more careful communication, we took into account every detail, always being very inclusive, and doing our best to transmit the power and beauty of this idea to the public. I met with officials from schools, universities and sports clubs, and more and more organisations joined. Branded merchandising and mascots further drove publicity. Volunteers were divided into groups, each handling a different area. Each community rallied their members to take part. Momentum started gathering, you could feel the energy and excitement in the air – something unprecedented was about to take place. We launched with a Thursday night Challah Bake. The setting was suitably magical – sunset at a park next to a lake. Incredibly, more than 5 000 women took part, bused in from all over the city. The Shabbat Project journey had begun…

Never in the history of our Jewish community in Buenos Aires had we seen an event like this. It was absolutely transformative... Jewish women of all ages, social backgrounds, levels of observance were united in a single afternoon. The air was filled with words of blessing and with the voices of so many women

from so many different backgrounds. All prejudices were broken. It seemed like the gates of Heaven were opened. That event set the tone for what followed. The next evening, thousands of families received guests in their homes, scores of communities held Shabbat dinners and lunches, synagogues were overflowing, everyone was involved – the young, the old, entire families.

After Shabbat, we held our in-augural Havdallah Concert: park, stars and 8 000 people participating in a ceremony that bid farewell to that unique and special Shabbat in Buenos Aires.

Mission accomplished.

Take us through some of the other successful events and initiatives you’ve run.That first Challah Bake was really special. Last year, though, we went even bigger, gathering an amazing 8 000 women. Other than that, we have executed a variety of wonderful initiatives.

In 2016, we introduced a Shabbat Project gift card, enabling discounts at literally scores of kosher supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, ice-cream parlours, wine boutiques and other retail outlets across the city. I wrote a short children’s play about Shabbat and a group of actors toured the schools performing the play. A group of teachers created a comedy that 100 girls from five schools performed at the opening of last year’s Challah Bake.

In 2017, we created a new con-cept – the Shabbos Food Club. We hired three wonderful chefs who, for months, visit-ed homes of women who have participated in Shabbos Project events, and coached them in preparing a five-star Shabbat dinner. These women invit-ed their friends, so there were groups of eight to 10 women at each session. They cooked everything together and ate it afterwards with the chefs. We created a great buzz, and people published their dishes on Facebook. Thanks to this initiative, hundreds of women prepared their houses for Shabbat for the first time.

We also introduced the “Add a place to your table” campaign. We identified 150 families across all the districts of Buenos Aires who host Shabbat dinners in their homes. We have a huge database of people who have participated in The Shabbat Project who we call each week to ask if they would like to be placed with one of our host families for a meal.


City Stories

ROBYN REGENBAUM, ATLANTA, USA

“We had 850 people from all over Atlanta at the Challah Bake

– a complete sell-out and a great atmosphere. The wonderfully diverse crowd included a 92-year-old woman who had never before made challah. Feedback has been so positive. Someone told me they walked into the gym and just got a very warm, comforting feeling.”Ô

Challah Bake, Buenos Aires

Challah Bake, Strasbourg

Glow in the Dark Challah Bake, San Jose


Most are delighted. Hundreds of families have already been sharing Shabbat, and this is growing each week. We also help the host families cover costs with challah and wine, as well as food if they need it. We’ve now extended this initiative beyond Buenos Aires and have even recruited host families as far away as Uruguay!

Has The Shabbat Project been a force for unity/positive change in the community? Buenos Aires is the fifth-biggest Jewish community in the world. There is a wonderful network of schools, yeshivot, clubs, synagogues. There is a nice and healthy coexistence between all the various groups, observant, non-observant, and The Shabbat Project has done a wonderful job of further breaking down the barriers between the different groups. It has opened the doors of our homes and hearts. From the first Challah Bake, it has spread in countless ways and to countless places.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?The years that followed that first Shabbos have been increasingly challenging. How do we keep the flame alive, how do we maintain excitement and enthusiasm. How do we keep inspiring and motivating the community? With some creative thinking and much thought and effort, we’ve come up with lots of different ideas to deepen people’s Shabbat experience and keep things fresh. We have a mailing list of 9 000 women who receive periodical information related to the subject. Social media has been great in getting the word out and keeping The Shabbat Project, and Shabbat in general, top of mind.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners?The Shabbat Project has had a profound and transformational impact on Buenos Aires. And it can do the same in your city. For me, it has been the most intense, exciting and significant experience of my life, pushing me personally and professionally in ways I never imagined. It’s difficult, make no mistake. But to see the barriers between people come down, to see 8 000 women sharing and celebrating at a Challah Bake, to see a rich Shabbat experience enjoyed by so many new people – it makes all the effort worthwhile.Ô

YAIR GUTMAN, ELYACHIN, ISRAEL

“The small village of Elyachin in northern Israel is a mixed one: one part unaffiliated, one part Modern Orthodox, one part Chareidim, all living together though not often coming into meaningful contact with one another. This was the third year that the settlement celebrated The Shabbat Project, and in growing numbers. This year we presented the addition of a Ja’ala – a traditional Yemenite after-dinner gathering where people sit together in small circles, talking and, of course, snacking. Unobservant, Chareidi, religious Zionists

– everyone sat together in these mixed circles and talked about how the community used to be more together and how, in recent years, the differences have become more emphasised. But, this joint sitting gave people a real sense of togetherness, which doesn’t happen very often. I saw how The Shabbat Project touches everyone. What was especially inspiring was how our two youth movements with very different political and religious ideologies – Bnei Akiva and Hamoshavim – held a joint activity about tolerance and unity. They taught the important message that not everyone should think alike. It’s good the other is thinking differently, but we live in the same place, and need to contain it and give it space, not fear one another.”Ô

City Stories

DAFNA BENIZRI, NICETell us about your Nice organisation.We are a team of nine. In between meetings, we mostly communicate through WhatsApp. Each person in our team comes from a different background, from non-observant, traditional, Modern Orthodox to Chareidi. Actually, this mixture represents our community very well. I would say that our respect for each other is a key to the success of The Shabbat Project in Nice.

Tell us a bit about yourself.I am 53. I have four children and seven grandchildren. I was a kindergarten teacher for many years and also helped my parents run their Jewish hotel in Switzerland during vacation.

How did you come to be involved in The Shabbat Project? What motivated you to become a partner?I was inspired by my nephew, who was one of the lead organisers of The Shabbat Project in Zurich 2015, which was a breakthrough success for the community there. I was very impressed! He was communicating with us via WhatsApp as this event was evolving. I thought, why not do that in Nice? The idea to celebrate one Shabbat all together, no matter your Jewish background, fascinated me. Take us through some of the most successful events you’ve run.This past year was incredible. We hosted a Friday night dinner for 600 people at the glamorous Palais de la Méditerranée. The smiles, the warmth, the emotion, it was just overwhelming. Just being together – all of us from our different communities and different outlooks – without mobile phones, earphones, distractions, was magical. The power of the singing was just unbelievable. The next night we had 700 people at a Havdallah Concert at the Acropolis Palace, featuring Israeli singer, Idan Amedi. Many who were there had never made Havdallah in their lives. The atmosphere was so celebratory, the perfect end to The Shabbat Project weekend. Of course, it kicked off with the Thursday night Challah Bake, also at the Acropolis, which created the momentum that fed into these events.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you gone about addressing them?The biggest challenge was to unify all kinds of people from different Jewish backgrounds around one unique project. Also, to host even more people than previously at our events, and not turn people away. Unfortunately, our Friday night dinner was far oversubscribed so we couldn’t accommodate everyone. But, I guess that’s a nice problem to have! Has The Shabbat Project been a force for unity/positive change in the community? This project brings people together; it forces us to give of ourselves and share with others. This is the secret of true unity! Then the barriers inevitably fall. We could see that the people were united no matter what. Some decided to try to keep a full Shabbat as best they could. Others took further steps in exploring their Jewish heritage. This is no small feat in our community.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other partners?Find someone who can help orchestrate this project with the conviction that respect must reign between us, no matter what. And communicate the beauty of Shabbat to the Jewish community. Make them feel it. Invest deeply while knowing that it is challenging. But if you persevere, the rewards are richer than you can imagine. You can change your community for good. Ô


Saturday Night, Toronto


28

The 2017 Shabbat Project garnered coverage in major mainstream publications such as the Chicago Tribune, the San Diego Tribune, the Huffington Post and the London Times; major Jewish media houses such as the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post, the Forward, Algemeiner and JTA; local Jewish newspapers across the US; and all of Israel’s main news sites.

A specialised PR agency – Jcubed – handled international press: liaising with editors, content producers and editorial decision-makers and securing prime coverage in strategically important publications and media outlets.

Here is a selection of some of that coverage:

10

8

6

4

2

8000

6000

4000

2000

200

100

80

60

40

20

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

ANNUAL STATISTICS

total:

97

COUNTRIES

CITYCAPTAINS

LANGUAGES

total:

10

total:

8000

CITIES

1500

1000

500

100

5

total:

1416

29

BEHIND THE SCENES At The Shabbat Project headquar-

ters in Johannesburg, a team of designers, copywriters and cam-paign strategists worked around the clock, custom-designing materials for literally hundreds of cities, putting together global reports and executing print-runs in the tens of thousands.

The work was overseen by three project managers, Rosy Hollander, Siobhan Wilson and Alexa Scola, while creative director, Laurence Horwitz, directed the creation of the material itself. This material included billboards, posters, flyers, social media resources, postcards, aprons and recipe cards, as well as an array of innovative educational materials equipping people to observe Shabbat and host Shabbat events.

Meanwhile, Shira Daskal, who manages the social media desk, fielded messages by the minute. Thanks to her efforts, blogs, news updates and other posts reached a collective 5.2 million people worldwide (more than a third of those in Israel), while The Shabbat Project campaign video was viewed more than 1.5 million times, and The Shabbat Project website visited by more than 200 000 people.

Our international call centre in Tel Aviv, if anything, was even more frenetic. Tanya Harati, originally from South Africa, oversaw a total of eight partner desks assisting more than 8 000 partners (up from around 6 000 in 2016) all over the world across 10 different languages (English, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, German, Ukrainian, Turkish):

• For Israel, there were three different desks covering the north, south and centre of the country, and run by locals Iris, Yochai and Oshrat, respectively. Their involvement helped ensure a dramatic increase in activity in all three regions, with a total of 307 participating cities, kibbutzim and moshavim/yishuvim (up from 165 in 2016), and 331 main events taking place across the country (not including Shabbat meals and Kiddush gatherings in streets, parks and apartment buildings).

• Bat Sheva Benchetrit, second in command, and originally from Marseille, managed the French desk, assisting partners in France, Belgium and parts of Africa and Switzerland. France alone had 44 participating cities (up from 19 in 2016).

• The USA desk was managed by Nirelle Chernick, ex-Canadian living in South Africa. Nirelle also worked closely with Nisa Phelps in Baltimore and focused on five key cities this year to build their ground activity. These cities were Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City and the greater Washington DC area. There were a total of 586 participating US cities (up from 543 in 2016).

• Deborah, originally from Mal de Plata, Argentina, and now living in Israel, managed the Latin-American desk, as well as parts of Europe. Deborah speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and in addition to assisting our partners with their events and other requirements, she also helped translate many of our materials for them.

• Olya, originally from Ukraine now living in Israel, has worked with the project since 2015, and managed the Eastern Europe and Asia desk. Olya speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish and German and loves researching and finding new communities who have not yet heard of the project.

• Harati managed the partner team globally and directed the project in Israel. She also assisted all English-speaking partners in Europe, Australia and around the world.

Much of the communication with partners took place via WhatsApp, with 86 different groups on the go. The groups also functioned as a platform for partners to share ideas and resources with each other (as well as videos, pictures and experiences post-event). In addition, the help desk team – on call 24/6 – fielded more than 6 000 calls in 10 languages as well as more than 50 000 emails. The team also disseminated 73 personalised video messages that Shabbat Project founding director, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein, recorded for cities that requested them, and 320 customised flyers, posters, and other marketing material created at HQ.

On Friday 27 October, as the sun dipped below the horizon, all of this frenzied activity came to an abrupt halt, as the fruits of this wonderfully dedicated group of people’s endeavours came to life. And then, 25 hours later, these offices again whirred into action as the process began of capturing the stories and events, big and small, that took place around the world.Ô

30

I was allowed to be quiet

with myself, with my family

“Shabbat always sounded to me to be something full of prohibitions. Nothing can be done. After I had experienced it, I realised that this was the only time I was allowed to be quiet with myself, with my family. There was no housework. It was an experience that is hard to describe. No one made us keep Shabbat, it flowed automatically. My daughters wait the whole year for this Shabbat.”

Shimrit Shlomovitch Stein, Givatayim, Israel

31

together, let’s keep that

spark alive

“In Auschwitz, could I ever in my wildest dreams have imagined a gathering like this? There’s so much positive energy here, it boggles the mind! My heart swells with pride and disbelief and I feel the kedusha [holiness] hovering over us. I see here the excitement, the inspiration, and the spark of Divinity. Together, let’s keep that spark alive! Let’s keep the fire and the passion alive! Am Yisroel Chai!”

Bronia Brandman, Brooklyn, USA

32


Ashkelon

IsraelLearning about Shabbat

Bat Yam


Bat Yam

IsraelShabbat preparation shiur and cholent

Be’er Sheva


Be’er Ya’akov


Be’er Ya’akov


Bitha

IsraelShabbat preparation for Kabbalat Shabbat

Brosh


Buffalo

United StatesKids’ Concert

Chicago

United StatesShabbat through the senses curriculum

Dimona


Eilat


Giv’at Shmuel


Jerusalem


Jerusalem

IsraelShabbat preparation shiur

Jerusalem


Johannesburg

South AfricaShabbat preparation

Kfar Saba

IsraelShabbat preparation concert

Kiev

UkraineShabbat preparation

Kiryat Melachi

IsraelVolunteering

Lod


Los Angeles

United StatesChildrens carnival & entertainer

Migdal HaEmek


Netanya


Neve Eitan


Nitzan


Nitzan

IsraelShabbat preparationOmar


Oranit


Ra’anana

IsraelShabbat preparation shiur and cholent

Ramat Gan


Rehamin


Rio de Janeiro

BrazilPreparing desserts

Shlomi

IsraelShabbat preparation discussion

Sydney

AustraliaThe Secrets of Shabbat – BINA

Sydney

AustraliaUnderstanding The Shabbat Experience – BINA

Zichron Yaakov


FRIDAY EVENING26 OCTOBER 2017

Ashkelon

IsraelKabbalat Shabbat

Hadera


Haifa


Mitzpe Ramon


Netanya


Rio de Janeiro

BrazilWizo candle lighting

Guatemala City

GuatemalaCommunal candle lighting

Baltimore

United StatesCommunal candle lighting

Great Neck

United StatesCommunal candle lighting

FRIDAY NIGHT26 OCTOBER 2017

Be’er Sheva

IsraelOneg Shabbat

Budapest

HungaryOneg Shabbat

Cape Town

South AfricaDark Tisch Sea Point

Giv’at Shmuel

IsraelOneg Shabbat

Hannover

GermanyOneg Shabbat

Herzliya

IsraelOneg Shabbat 01

Jerusalem

IsraelOneg Shabbat - on Israel Eldad street

Jerusalem

IsraelOneg Shabbat - Shevet Achim Shul

Jerusalem


Jerusalem


Johannesburg

South AfricaDark Tisch Glenhazel

Johannesburg

South AfricaDark Tisch Sandton

Johannesburg

South AfricaDark Tisch Oaklands

Johannesburg

South AfricaDark Tisch Linksfield

Johannesburg

South AfricaDark Tisch Savoy

Johannesburg

South AfricaDark Tisch Victory Park

Kfar Ha-Oranim

IsraelOneg Shabbat

Kiryat Tiv’on

IsraelOneg Shabbat

Larnaka

CyprusOneg Shabbat

Meitar

IsraelOneg Shabbat


IsraelOneg Shabbat

Ramat Gan

IsraelOneg Shabbat

Rosario

ArgentinaOneg Shabbat

Tashkent

UzbekistanOneg Shabbat

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelOneg Shabbat

SATURDAY MORNING

27 OCTOBER 2017

Arcachon

FranceKiddush

Ashdod

IsraelKiddush & Torah learning

Baltimore

United States“Let’s do Shabbat Event”

Bnei Ayish

IsraelShabbat morning and Kiddush

Cambridge

EnglandShabbat Lite

Cleveland

United StatesShabbat morning services

Copenhagen

DenmarkShabbat frokost

Dallas

United StatesJET Learners Service

Efrat

IsraelKiddush Kehilati

Eilat

IsraelShabbat morning

Great Neck

United StatesShabbat morning services

Houston

United StatesShabbat morning shmooze

Jerusalem

IsraelShabbat morning services and Kiddush

Jerusalem


Jerusalem

IsraelKiddush

Kfar Saba


Kiryat Yam

IsraelShabbat morning Kiddush

Lod

IsraelKiddush shabbat morning

Los Angeles

United StatesServices

Manchester

EnglandShabbat Kiddush

Manchester

EnglandShabbat packages

Matityahu, Mateh Binyamin


Mauritius

Shabbat morning services and Kiddush

Monterrey

MexicoService and Kiddush

Montrouge

FranceKiddush

Netanya


Netanya

IsraelKiddush

Netivot

IsraelKiddush

New York City

United StatesServices

Potomac

United StatesKiddush

Potomac

United StatesYoung Israel Shabbaton

Prague

Czech RepublicShabbat morning services and Kiddush

Ra’anana


Rehamin

IsraelYouth activities

Saint Kilda East

AustraliaShabbat @ Aliya Youth Space

San Jose

Costa RicaShabbaton

Sandy Bay

AustraliaKiddush

Sderot

IsraelKiddush

Sydney

AustraliaWomen’s shiur and light breakfast – Coogee Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaDavening, Kiddush, tea, talks and lunch – Hineni, Bnei Akiva and Bnei Brith

Sydney

AustraliaKiddush at Kehillat Kadimah

Sydney

AustraliaA full-day Shabbat Experience – The North Shore Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaAll-day kids’ activities – Chabad North Shore

Sydney

AustraliaThe Shabbat Experience – Chabad North Shore

Sydney

AustraliaVaucluse Pop-Up Shul – BINA

Tel Aviv-Yafo


Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelKiddush

Tzfat

IsraelShabbaton

Vancouver

CanadaDavening


GermanyShabbat morning services and Kiddush

Zaporizhzhia

UkraineInteractive Shabbat

SATURDAY LUNCH27 OCTOBER 2017

Adamstown

United StatesShabbat lunch

Amersfoot

NetherlandsShabbat day meal

Atlanta

United StatesShabbat lunch block party

Baltimore

United StatesCommunity wide lunch

Baltimore

United StatesShabbat day meal

Belfort

FranceShabbat lunch

Betar Illit

IsraelShabbat lunch

Bethesda

United StatesKiddush lunch

Bnei Ayish

IsraelShabbat lunch

Brussels

BelgiumShabbat lunch 01

Brussels

BelgiumShabbat lunch 02

Budapest

HungaryShabbat day meal

Cancun

MexicoShabbat day meal

Cape Town

South AfricaShabbat lunch 01

Cape Town


Chicago

United StatesShabbat lunch 01

Chicago

United StatesShabbat lunch 02

Dallas


Edenvale

South AfricaShabbat lunch

Eindhoven

NetherlandsShabbat lunch

Gadot

IsraelShabbat lunch

Gautemala City

GautemalaShabbat day meal

Great Neck


Great Neck

United StatesCommunity wide lunch

Great Neck

United StatesShabbat youth lunch

Guatemala City

GuatemalaShabbat lunch

Hannover

GermanyShabbat day meal

Herzliya

IsraelShabbat lunch

Holon

IsraelShabbat lunch

Houston

United StatesKiddush

Jerusalem

IsraelShabbat lunch 01

Jerusalem


Jerusalem

IsraelShabbat lunch / Kiddush

Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Kfar Adumim

IsraelShabbat lunch

Kiryat Gat

IsraelMeal

Larnaka

CyprusShabbat day meal

Lausanne

SwitzerlandShabbat day meal

Le Raincy

FranceShabbat lunch

Los Angeles


Malmo

SwedenShabbat day meal

Marlboro


Marseille

FranceShabbat lunchMbale

UgandaShabbat day meal

Monsey NY


Montrouge

FranceShabbat lunch

New York City


Port Elizabeth

South AfricaShabbat lunch

Potomac

United StatesKiddush lunch

Prague

Czech RepublicShabbat lunch

Rio de Janeiro

BrazilShabbat lunch

San Salvador

El SalvadorShabbat day meal

Sderot

IsraelShabbat lunch

Jerusalem

IsraelSeudat Shlishit 05

Jerusalem


Jerusalem


Jerusalem


Jerusalem

IsraelShabbat afternoon shiur

Jerusalem

IsraelShiur

Johannesburg

South AfricaSeudat Shlishit 01

Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Kfar Saba

IsraelSeudat Shlishit

Kiev

UkraineShabbat afternoon

Kiryat Melachi

IsraelShabbat afternoon

Larnaka

CyprusShabbat activities

Los Angeles

United StatesSeudat Shlishit

Los Angeles

United StatesShabbat events/activities

Marlboro

United StatesSedudat Shlishit

Marlboro


Monsey NY

United StatesThird meal

Monsey NY

United StatesActivities

Monterrey

Mexico“Last Afternoon”

Netanya

IsraelPicnic in the Park

Netivot

IsraelSeudah Shlishit

New York City

United StatesGuest speaker

Rehalim


Rehamin

IsraelYouth activities

Rio de Janeiro

BrazilOneg Shabbat

Rio de Janeiro

BrazilShiurim with Rabbis

Silverspring

United StatesSeudat Shlishit Block Party

Sydney

AustraliaFamily Seudat Shlishit – Mizrachi and JNF

Sydney

AustraliaSeudat Shlishit and shiurim – Kehillat Kadimah with JNF and Mizrachi

Sydney

AustraliaSeudat Shlishit– ORAH

Sydney

AustraliaWomen’s afternoon tea and shiur – Kehillat Kadimah

Sydney

AustraliaShiur – ORAH

Sydney

AustraliaShiurim – Maroubra Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaShiurim for Teenagers – Chabad North Shore

Tel Aviv-Yafo


Tel Aviv-Yafo


Vancouver

CanadaPanel discussion


GermanyShabbat afternoon

Yavne


Yavne


Zichron Yaakov

IsraelSeudah Shlishit

Zichron Yaakov

IsraelMeal

Zikhron Ya’akov


SATURDAY NIGHT27 OCTOBER 2017

Ari’el

IsraelMelava Malka

Ashkelon

IsraelMelava Malka

Ashkelon

IsraelHavdallah Concert

Beit Elazar


Bet Shemesh


Bogota

ColombiaHavdallah Concert

Bordeaux

FranceHavdallah Concert

Boston

United StatesHavdallah Concert

Buffalo


Cancun

MexicoHavdallah Concert

Cape Town

South AfricaHavdallah Concert 01

Cape Town


Cape Town


Cape Town


Charenton-le-Pont


Chicago

United StatesHavdallah Concert 01

Chicago


Corrientes

ArgentinaHavdallah Concert

Dallas


Denver

United StatesMelava Malka

Dimona


Fairfax

EnglandHavdalah Concert

Great Neck


Hannover

GermanyHavdallah Concert

Hannover

GermanyMelave Malka

Hatzor Haglalit


Jerusalem

IsraelHavdallah Concert - Rechavya

Jerusalem

IsraelHavdallah Concert - With Chazam Yitzchak Meir on Derech Chevron

Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Johannesburg


Karmiel


Kiryat Tiv’on

IsraelMelave Malka

Kiryat Yam


Krakow

PolandHavdallah Concert

London

EnglandHavdallah Concert

Los Angeles


Los Angeles


Marlboro


Miami


Mitzpe Ramon



IsraelHavdallah Concert 01


IsraelHavdallah Concert 02

Monsey NY


montevideo

UruguayHavdallah Concert

Netanya


Netivot


Nice


Panama City

PanamaHavdallah Concert

Paris


Prague

Czech RepublicHavdallah Concert

Quito

EcuadorHavdallah Concert

Ra’anana


Shuva

IsraelShabbat lunch

Sydney

AustraliaLunch ‘n Learn – Emanuel Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaLunch and afternoon activities at Kehillat Masada

Sydney

AustraliaShabbat lunch – Dover Heights Shul

Sydney

AustraliaShabbat lunch – Sephardi Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaShabbat lunch and special speaker – The Great Synagogue

Sydney

AustraliaShabbat with Extra Soul Luncheon – Chabad North Shore

Tel Aviv-Yafo


Tel Aviv-Yafo


Toronto

United StatesRabbi Azoulay lunch

Utrecht

NetherlandsShabbat lunch

Vancouver

CanadaShabbat lunch

Yavne

IsraelShabbat lunch

Zichron Yaakov

IsraelShabbat lunch

SATURDAY AFTERNOON27 OCTOBER 2017

Acre


Adamstown

United StatesOneg Shabbat

Adamstown


Ashkelon


Baltimore

United StatesThird meal

Baltimore

United StatesLecture and dessert

Baltimore


Beit Zayit


Bordeaux

FranceSeudat Shlishit

Budapest

HungarySeudat Shlishit

Copenhagen

DenmarkShabbat aften

Cordoba

ArgentinaShiur for men

Dallas

United StatesWomen’s Potluck Shalashudis

Dallas

United StatesFamily fun in the park

Great Neck

United StatesSeudat Shlishit

Great Neck

United StatesShabbat activities

Guatemala City

GuatemalaSeudat Shlishit

Guatemala City

GuatemalaShabbat actvities

Haifa


Hannover

GermanySeudat Shlishit

Hannover

GermanyShabbat activities

Jerusalem


Jerusalem


Jerusalem


Jerusalem


Ramat Hasharon


Ramla

IsraelHavdallah Concert and Oneg Shabbat

Rishon LeTsiyon

IsraelMelava Malka

Rosh HaAyin


Saint-Mandé


San Diego


San Salvador

El SalvadorHavdallah Concert

Sandton

South AfricaHavdallah Concert

Shaked


Singapore

SingaporeHavdallah Concert

Singapore

SingaporeMelave Malka

Sydney

AustraliaHavdallah Tunes for young adults

Sydney

AustraliaHavdallah – Maroubra Shule

Sydney

AustraliaHavdallah– ORAH

Sydney

AustraliaOutdoor Havdallah Concert – Chabad North Shore

Tekoa


Tekoa


Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelHavdallah Concert - International Synagogue with the Gat Brothers

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelHavdallah Concert - Club Barbi

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelHavdallah Concert - Bar Kochba 54

Tel Aviv-Yafo

IsraelMelava Malka - Yigal Alon

Tzfat


Vancouver

CanadaHavdallah Concert

Warsaw

PolandHavdallah Workshop


GermanyHavdallah Concert

Winnipeg


Zichron Yaakov


the shabbat project 2017

Documents