As Israel continues to seek renewal and unity more than two years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, a growing number of Jewish Israelis are turning to Shabbat as a source of strength and spiritual connection, according to South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein.
“There’s a spiritual revolution happening in Israel, an outpouring of people wanting a deeper connection to Shabbat, and we’re feeling it on the ground with this year’s record participation in the Shabbat Project across the country,” Goldstein told JNS on Tuesday.
That spiritual revolution will be on display this weekend, Nov. 7–8 (Parshat Vayeira), when the Shabbat Project is expected to bring together a million Jews in Israel and millions more worldwide, in what organizers describe as “a spirit of joy and unity.”
The Shabbat Project, launched in 2013 in South Africa by Goldstein, who has served as South Africa’s chief rabbi since 2005, has grown into a global movement that encourages Jews worldwide to experience Shabbat together. Now in its twelfth year, the grassroots initiative spans more than 1,500 cities and 100 countries, while in Israel, it has evolved into “a national phenomenon,” according to a press release issued by the Shabbat Project.
A new national survey commissioned by the Shabbat Project found that 94% of Jewish Israelis see Shabbat “as their key moment for family connection,” while 89% view it as “central to Israeli culture.” Three-quarters describe it as a “gift,” while 72% say it serves as “a unifying force between Israeli and Diaspora Jews,” according to the press release.
For Goldstein, this year’s Shabbat Project comes at a historic time.
“As we offered gratitude to God for the final release of all our hostages and for a fragile ceasefire that emerged from the great victories Israel achieved, this year’s Shabbat Project was dedicated to the heroes of our people and to the Divine gift of Shabbat that held us through it all,” the South African chief rabbi said, paying particular tribute to the unwavering heroism of Israeli hostages and IDF soldiers.
“In the chains of captivity, in the darkness of the Hamas dungeons, many hostages kept Shabbat—defiantly, tenderly, faithfully, while our heroic soldiers on the front lines marked Shabbat under fire, welcoming in Shabbat with full hearts,” he added.
Israel: Shabbat as the nation’s heartbeat
Israel is the global hub of this year’s Shabbat Project. Events are being held at IDF bases, in parks, mass challah bakes, Shabbat meals for families whose loved ones are serving in the reserves, and distribution of Shabbat kits to communities.
More than 9,000 “Shabbat is a Gift” family kits are being distributed nationwide—beautifully designed boxes containing games and activities that encourage families to “put your phones away and reconnect.”
Hundreds of schools and community groups are participating, with the national education system integrating Shabbat Project programming for the first time. More than 100,000 students are bringing home special Shabbat kits and learning materials, enriching tables and extending the Shabbat experience to more than half a million Jews across the country, the press release said.
Jamie Geller, Aish’s chief communications officer, is hosting the firstn rooftop challah bake overlooking the Kotel, bringing women from across Israel to Jerusalem to prepare for Shabbat together.
The Alef TLV Center is organizing a mega open-air Kabbalat Shabbat on Rothschild Boulevard, featuring live singers and a city-wide outdoor Kiddush inviting passersby to join. The celebration will close with a Havdalah concert marking the end of an unforgettable Shabbat in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Media coverage across Israel—including articles in major national outlets and interviews on leading TV networks—is expanding exposure to Shabbat and bringing its message into tens of thousands of additional homes.
“The people of Israel are longing to reconnect with the most meaningful aspects of their lives,” said Aharon Ackerman, director of the Shabbat Project Israel. “In a time of national hardship, Shabbat has become a moment of spiritual depth and a beacon of hope that connects us all.”
North America
Across North America, synagogues, schools and student groups are joining forces like never before, the Shabbat Project said. National organizations including the Orthodox Union, Aish and Chabad are promoting the Shabbat Project across their networks, hosting open Shabbat dinners and Shabbatons throughout the continent.
NCSY and JSU chapters—reaching more than 650 student networks—are holding Shabbatons for public school students. Chabad on Campus is leading a four-part Shabbat curriculum on JewishU.org, while Meor Boston is hosting immersive Shabbat weekends for 500 college students.
In New York, Crown Heights is hosting a mass college Shabbaton with 2,500 attendees from universities worldwide, culminating in the distribution of 700 copies of Rabbi Goldstein’s book, Shabbat: A Day to Create Yourself.
Community-wide challah bakes are being held in Queens, St. Louis, Savannah, and Toronto, while Denver and Jacksonville are planning full-scale Shabbatons with candle lighting, communal meals, Shabbat workshops, and musical Havdalahs. Charlotte, North Carolina, is hosting an “entry-level Shabbat” designed to introduce new participants to the experience.
Schools that include the Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the Zucker Academy network, representing some 550 families, are dedicating the weekend to Shabbat learning, hands-on challah bakes, Shabbat box kits, and a “Switch off your screens” campaign.
College students are also uniting for a special Olami Unity Shabbaton connecting students from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. JewishEd is sharing a Shabbat Quiz with 900 English-speaking schools, while MyZuzah is distributing Rabbi Goldstein’s book to 22,000 mezuzah recipients worldwide.
Aish Los Angeles is partnering with a local synagogue to host newcomers for Shabbat meals and a musical Kabbalat Shabbat. For many, this will be their first-ever Shabbat experience, the Shabbat Project said.
Shabbat around the world
The Shabbat Project said its global reach is continuing to grow across communities in the Diaspora.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, some 3,000 women and girls signed up for a pre-Shabbat challah bake. In Lima, Peru, Jewish communities are gathering for for festive Friday evening dinners at which tables are named after cities in Israel, symbolizing unity and connection to the Land of Israel.
In Mexico City, a Youth Shabbaton is bringing together young people for festive meals, interactive games, Shabbat songs, and study sessions. In Bogotá, Colombia, 240 women and girls—from bat mitzvah students to grandmothers—are set to bake challah side by side for a Kabbalat Shabbat service.
French-speaking communities in Geneva, Lausanne, and Strasbourg are uniting for Shabbatons, communal challah bakes, family dinners, youth programs, and lectures featuring France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia.
In Melbourne, the community is gathering for a Shabbat dinner on the theme “Thriving in the Age of AI and Robotics,” while Sydney is hosting a Havdalah concert featuring Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov. London is welcoming the Traveling Chassidim for a weekend of song, study and inspiration.
Portugal is hosting a large-scale event, while Brussels, Paris and Lucerne unite for pan-European Shabbatons organized by Olami. In South Africa, grants and resources are empowering families to host Shabbat dinners for friends and neighbors, with screen-free participants receiving flowers and phone pouches.
Casablanca and Marrakech in Morocco are joining this year’s Shabbat Project, as are Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Dubai and Tahiti, a French-Polynesian island, participating for the first time.
“Let us unite in cities across the globe,” Goldstein declared. “Let us gather in our homes and synagogues, in our streets and community centers. Let us join hands with family, friends and neighbors, one people with one heart around Shabbat.”
Switch off to switch on
This year’s theme, “Shabbat is a Gift. Be Present,” speaks to one of the greatest social challenges of our time, according to the organizers.
Participants across the globe are being invited to “Switch off your screens. Switch on your life.” From sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday, millions of Jews are called upon to place their phones in dedicated pouches, disconnecting from the digital world to reconnect with family, friends, and community.
“Every generation faces its own challenges,” Goldstein said. “Ours was the epidemic of distraction, a world that never stopped calling for our attention. But with Shabbat, the Divine wisdom of the Torah anticipated this long ago.”
For 25 hours, he said, participants are asked to “switch off devices and switch on their lives.”
“We rediscovered the joy of face-to-face conversation, the warmth of family and community, the spiritual nourishment of a shared meal. We breathed in fresh air, noticed the glow of candlelight, heard laughter around the table, and felt the peace that filled our souls when we allowed ourselves to simply be,” he said.
Celebrities and influencers are championing the “Switch off to switch-on” campaign in Israel, including Jamie Geller, Jordana Drinkitin, Yechiel Jacobs and Michael Rappaport, and freed hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Raz Ben Ami and Elkana Bohbot.
Sal Litvak, director-producer of Guns & Moses, said, “Thank God for Shabbos. I disconnected from all the business and stress of Hollywood for 25 hours to focus on what’s really important: faith, family and more than a bit of fine food!”
Goldstein described placing a phone inside the pouch this Shabbat as “a small choice that makes a big difference.”
“It was an act of reclaiming your life: the first step along the path to being present. And it was the gateway to keeping Shabbat in all its meaning and beauty – to unwrapping the greatest gift of all: Shabbat,” he said.
A moment of Jewish pride and renewal
The movement that Goldstein began in South Africa continues to resonate across continents, serving as a once-a-year reminder of Jewish identity and unity.
“Shabbat is the heartbeat of our people,” Goldstein said. “It is the Divine gift that has carried us through the generations. Our sages teach that Shabbat is our yedid nefesh, our soulmate.
“This year’s Shabbat Project is the call to Jewish pride and unity, the call to rally around Shabbat and declare to the world, Am Yisrael Chai!”
For more information, visit www.theshabbosproject.org.
