Monica hosted a “Kraft, Craft, and Craft” Shabbat dinner, where guests ate Kraft mac & cheese, drank craft beer, and did arts and crafts. She was inspired by her coworker Emily who hosted this theme in college. “This dinner was for coworkers, most of whom are not Jewish….It was fun having a dinner where we could combine our traditions (Emily’s craft theme and my love of Shabbat dinner) to do something special for our coworkers.”

Monica, what does Shabbat dinner mean to you?

Shabbat dinner is my ideal way to end the week. It means coming together with friends and taking time to connect genuinely without having technology interfere.

What is your first Shabbat memory?

Probably learning about Shabbat at my Jewish preschool. I remember every Friday each kid got a handful of dough and a popsicle stick, and we made challah-on-a-stick that was baked and ready to be brought home by the end of the day.

What kinds of Shabbat dinners do you host?

Although I attend Shabbat dinner every Friday, I do not host very often. When I do host I make sure that I am bringing people together who don’t already know each other but would get along.

What is your dream Shabbat dinner?

This is probably cliche but the best Shabbat dinners I have attended were in Jerusalem. I love sitting around the table and talking for hours, knowing that almost everyone else in the neighborhood is doing the same thing since all of the stores and restaurants are closed. One time I took a cab to a Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem. When the driver dropped me off he told me he was going home to have dinner with his family, but he would pick me up again in a few hours to take me home. It’s nice knowing that so many Jews keep the same tradition.

How did you find OneTable?

I initially learned about OneTable because someone I went to college with posted on Facebook that she got a job there!