We came together in 2014 with an amazing design challenge: How might we help people make the most of Friday night and enjoy the best of life together?

So we turned to you – our hosts, guests, partners, friends, supporters – to help us create Shabbat dinners that are engaging, meaningful, and fun. You showed us the way by hosting unique dinners, inviting your friends, testing new recipes, sharing your wisdom and feedback, and creating experiences that work for you. Thank you!

Together we learned that it’s not about reinventing Shabbat dinner, it is about making it feel relevant. It’s not about perfection, it’s about practice. It’s not about one prayer or one ritual. It’s about one community that we can all plug into. It’s about carving out time where we can pause, and enjoy, together.

It is for these reasons that we are so excited to share our new brand – including a new name and logo – with you.

Why switch from StartUp Shabbat to OneTable?

We started with “StartUp Shabbat,” and it was a fitting name for our prototype. We played with techie language. And whether you want to host or be hosted, we’re here to support you to create a Friday night that’s fun, collaborative, and all about you.

Photo Credit: Shulie Seidler-Feller

But the thing is, it’s not just about “starting up” Shabbat, it’s about seeking more opportunities for meaningful relationships, new experiences, and participation in a community with others who share your values. It’s about belonging to something bigger and living with purpose.

At OneTable, we have the opportunity to make this connection possible.

As an online and in-person hub, we make it easy for people to find, enjoy and share one of Judaism’s most inspiring and empowering traditions – Shabbat dinner. Shabbat dinner is an invitation to slow down on Friday night, savor a meal, and build enduring relationships. It is personal and communal. It is a ritual that each person creates anew, that can connect a community, and that helps you celebrate being Jewish in your own way.

At OneTable, we help people Shabbat together.

What’s the story behind the new logo?

Photo Credit: Emily P Goodstein

Our brand identity is inspired by the much-loved Shabbat dinner staple, the challah. Shabbat dinner is celebrated in many different ways, and no matter how you make it your own the challah has a place on the table. We’ve abstracted the warmth, the sweetness, the fresh-baked possibility of challah by combining the soft overlapping braided lines to form one simple shape.

The icon’s woven quality visually speaks to OneTable’s many social benefits: meeting new friends, making connections, and forming a community. The logotype is iconic, contemporary and warm, customized to elevate these woven lines.

Together – our name, our logo, and our tagline – form one cohesive shape that represents OneTable and the power of the Shabbat dinner experience.

What does this mean for people already participating as guests and/or as hosts?

Photo Credit: Shulie Seidler-Feller

If you know us as StartUp Shabbat, hello again! Over the course of the coming year, you will notice a new website, additional “Nourishment” options, and access to more resources like recipes, and hosting skills.

We invite you to continue to post and host as well as attend Shabbat dinners. We also invite you to share the news with your networks online — social links are below.

Where can you now find OneTable?

 facebook.com/onetableshabbat

 @onetableshabbat

 @onetableshabbat

How can you get in touch with the OneTable team?

Check out our ever-growing team here: Meet the Team

General questions? Get in touch: hello@onetable.org

Thank you again for your support and enthusiasm. Welcome to OneTable where we help you make the most of Friday night and enjoy the best of life together. We can’t wait to Shabbat together and celebrate many more Friday nights with you.