Spin Me Right Round Baby: A CycleBar Shabbat
By Sean Lynch, OneTable Host
On June 9, 50 Jews walked into a spin studio (you’ve heard this story before, right?), clipped in to their bikes, and rode away to the sounds of Hava Nagila, Pink, Billy Joel, Matisyahu, and TimeFlies for a Shabbat Spin & Din.
You may be thinking, “Shabbat and Spinning, that’s the weirdest thing I have ever heard.”
Regardless of what you think at first, consider the following:
Spinning classes, such as your favorite SoulCycle, CycleBar, or Flywheel class are focused around the idea of working towards something together as a community. A Shabbat dinner is all about working together to prepare an amazing environment and then enjoying it together as a community.
In a spin class, you may not know who is next to you. At a Shabbat dinner table, the same thing goes. Every instructor has their own way of doing things. Just like every host has their own rituals and traditions. The list of similarities goes on.
When we came up with the idea of hosting a Shabbat Spin and Din, we knew we couldn’t have the “traditional” Shabbat experience. There wasn’t going to be a long dinner table, or any dinner table for that matter. The core experience wasn’t eating delicious food. So, we got to work.
The core of the Shabbat Spin & Din wasn’t the din. In fact, we just had samples of food + a parfait bar, and tons of challah.
The core experience was the spin. We framed the class at the beginning as an experience where could all reflect on our weeks while driving forward (in a stationary position) into a new one. The class itself, as previously noted, featured music from all types of Jewish artists.
Next thing we knew, the class was over and we were coming together, sweaty yet energized, for the kiddish and hamotzi.
Typically after a class you run out, but here everyone stayed after the class to mingle with the other attendees as if it were a typical Shabbat dinner.
With OneTable, you really can host and create community wherever you want, however you want.
Want to pump up your own Shabbat? Check out the playlist we used here.
