Jewish adults aged 50-plus are coming together for meaningful Shabbat dinners through OneTable Together, which utilizes a custom peer-to-peer platform dedicated to connecting people to create their own Shabbat practices. The program’s inaugural hubs in Georgia, Florida and Colorado are seeing high demand and the program has blossomed to include almost 150 Shabbat dinners across the country.
“Our research showed that older-age cohorts wanted to find meaning, space for reflection and new friendships as much as people in their 20s and 30s do,” said Susan Salzman, director of OneTable Together. “It’s exciting to see the response in these three pilot communities affirm this research and that more people, of all ages, are connecting with each other during such challenging times.”
The pilot areas were launched with support from the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Rose Community Foundation in Colorado, respectively.
“The most important takeaway from my OneTable Together Shabbat experience is the value of having and extending our Jewish community,” said Cindy Goldrich of Boulder, Colo. “Not as a way to separate us from others but to celebrate and share what ties us with one another. The OneTable Together team is helpful and easy to work with and I hope to do more Shabbat events in the future.”
“It’s been very rewarding to host the dinners!” added Andrea Gappell of Atlanta. “After seven consecutive monthly dinners, each one has been completely different depending on the guests. I’ve learned so much and am greatly enjoying the spiritual practice … not to mention the cooking and entertaining part!”
“I had a wonderful experience at my first OneTable Together Shabbat dinner,” said Lynn Kaston of Palm Beach, Fla. “The conversation was thoughtful, and I enjoyed being with like-minded individuals who came together to celebrate Shabbat. The dinner lasted about two-and-a-half hours, and featured lively conversation, delicious food and wine. It was a great way to end the week and begin the weekend.”
With the launch of OneTable Together, interested community members can become hosts (see: gettogether.onetable.org) and start connecting with peers. OneTable’s DIY approach to Shabbat includes tailored support, coaching and online resources that allow Shabbat to become personally meaningful. From the OneTable platform, hosts can post and manage their Shabbat dinners, and potential guests can find and RSVP to a dinner in their area.
The launch of OneTable Together last fall coincided with Oct. 7.
“Since Oct. 7, Shabbat has offered us both an oasis and a reminder of a better future,” added Aliza Kline, CEO of OneTable. “Ahad Ha’am’s infinite wisdom feels truer and truer every week, ‘More than the Jewish people keep Shabbat, Shabbat keeps the Jewish people.’ ”
