“Being able to combine lots of people with food + the intimacy of Shabbat is an ideal situation for me. Even though it’s exhausting, once I’m done and the food is served, and I can sit down with my friends, it’s all worth it. That wouldn’t happen without OneTable. Nourishment is an investment in so much joy.”

“Your whole week goes by. You did the hustle + bustle. On Friday, you finish work, and NOW it’s time to figure out what you’ll do for the time that is just yours. You suddenly don’t have to answer to anyone. Shabbat gives you full autonomy to create. You can ask yourself: What do I want to be doing with my time? For me, it’s having meaningful conversations, building connections, savoring good food, and just being present.”

“The platform is a game changer. The real transformation will come from the low-barrier way that friends of existing student leaders can also start to see themselves as hosts and create opportunities for their peers. Being able to do all this without even setting foot in a Hillel building means that we can reach students we may not have before and scale student engagement beyond what we could in the past.”

“Growing up, my family did Shabbat each Friday night. As my children grew up and our life became more complicated, it slowly disappeared. It has been a long while since I have practiced this ritual, and I have to say, this was a beautiful way to reintroduce myself to this Friday night practice. The encouragement from OneTable Together was the little nudge I needed to remind me that slowing down and sharing an evening with friends in the most intentional way is precisely what I have been missing.”

“I was recently invited to the inaugural OneTable Together event for those over 50. It was a wonderful experience of like-minded individuals coming together to celebrate Shabbat… The conversations centered around an ethical question our hostess had requested each couple bring… It was lively conversation, delicious food and wine, and lasted about two and a half hours. It was a great way to begin the weekend.”