By Tara Dublin

It’s hard enough to get Gen Z to look up from TikTok, let alone regularly sit down to share a proper meal and interact with others.

So, imagine how much harder it might be to get younger generations of Jewish Americans to come together every Friday night for Shabbat.

Welcome to OneTable, “A better way to Friday!”

OneTable is a national non-profit inspired by ancient Jewish wisdom that empowers young adults (21-39ish) to find, share, and enjoy Shabbat and make it the celebratory weekly spiritual oasis it was meant to be. According to OneTable, “Shabbat, much like yoga or meditation for some, is an act of rebellion against a constantly moving world. We bring ritual to the table not because we have to, but because disconnecting in order to intentionally connect, separate from the work week, and build community is holy – and really good for you.”

By gathering in person instead of over Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, OneTable fosters connection for a generation of young people who are often too electronically plugged in to slow down and form relationships .

Just this year alone, OneTable has supported 3,600 unique hosts across the country in creating nearly 20,000 dinners and 112,000 seats at the table for over 33,000 Shabbat diners.

At a OneTable Shabbat dinner, people can get together to slow down and unplug from the previous week. It’s about creating a new intention in their lives to build meaningful communities fostered by connections made in person.

Personal Shabbat Touch

Held in private homes, the dinner menus and guests may vary, but the message remains the same: everyone is welcome to join the conversation and share in the amazing meals.

OneTable takes a DIY approach to Shabbat while offering custom-tailored support, coaching, and online resources to make the Shabbat dinner ritual personally meaningful.

Hosts can receive financial boosts in the form of “Nourishment Credits” if cost is an issue.

The OneTable formula is definitely having an impact across the country. A recent in-house survey of respondents said that because of OneTable:

• 87% find meaning in spending time with community on Shabbat.
• 72% say Shabbat adds a spiritual dimension to their Friday night.
• 65% try to pause and relax at the end of the week.
• 53% feel Friday night is different from the rest of the week.

The dinners are also a great way to reconnect with childhood traditions that some people may have lost along the way to adulting.

“Every Friday night growing up, we couldn’t have other plans…we did a nice dinner with my family and then we went to Reform Shabbat services. But then as I got older and went to college, I stopped having a regular practice of Shabbat,” remembers Ariana Jones.

The Miami resident recalls that she “always really loved coming home and visiting family to do Shabbat dinner with my mom again, but I never was motivated to plan it for myself.”

But after finding OneTable, Ariana says her new Shabbat tradition has been “a really great reminder to stop and take that time to practice Shabbat in the little ways that I can like taking that quiet time to reflect on the week and connect to Judaism.”

All Inclusive

And even though the Shabbat dinners aren’t limited to Jews, Ariana says making the choice to embrace this new tradition helps foster a sense of belonging to the local Jewish community.

“In my everyday life, I don’t necessarily feel surrounded by Jewish people so it’s meaningful to have that time to settle into the weekend and feel that extra connection to Judaism, my culture, and my childhood.”

OneTable has also recently expanded into the Phoenix, Arizona, area, with more cities to be announced.

If you’re interested in hosting your own OneTable Shabbat dinner, or finding one you can join in your city, please https://dinners.onetable.org/