Keeping It Cozy: Nourishment Inspo for a Socially Distanced Winter Shabbat

With colder weather comes new opportunities for creativity around the Shabbat dinner table — or Shabbat blanket, Shabbat fire pit, or Shabbat space heater. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite things you can purchase with Nourishment to make hosting outside safe, fun, and festive:

Warmth

On a cold winter night, the coziest place to be is sitting around the fire. If you have the space, it’s definitely worth considering a  big outdoor fire pit (or a miniature one!). Looking for something more portable to huddle around? Check out these space heaters, from the affordable to the splurge-worthy. (Nourishment is typically $10/RSVP, up to $100 per week. If you’ve got your eye on something beyond this budget, reach out to your Field Manager about “saving up” for a big-ticket item.) For a more personalized touch, consider investing in rechargeable or microwaveable hand warmers, scented heatable socks or neck warmers to keep you & your crew toasty even if snows.

close up photo of a fire pit with marshmallows on a stick hovering above
person holding a smore snack in their hand with a small campfire in the background

Food & Beverage

Social distancing was made for BYOB (and of course BYOSD — Bring Your Own Shabbat Dinner). Send out recipes to your guests so you can all cook up the same meal, or encourage guests to bring their own favorites. Recommend that guests bring the beverages of their choice: beer or hard seltzer work great, as do these mini wine bottles.

Of course, nothing says “cozy” like gourmet s’mores or a mulled wine kit. And if you’re feeling creative, try making your own DIY pre-packaged “charcuterie packs” with items like cranberry trail mix, fancy crackers, and cheese.

Decoration & Environment

Our go-to for mood-setting indoors or out is a good set of string lights. Going outside? Get an outdoor extension cord. Too far from a plug? Try a few solar lights or a battery-powered camping lantern.

You’re going to need somewhere to sit — if the ground is too cold for picnic blankets, consider investing in a folding table + chair set (or buy the items “a la carte”). Get a little extra protection from the elements by setting up an outdoor tent or DIY’ing one yourself. (Be sure to leave at least two sides open for full ventilation and COVID safety!)

foreground: a hand holds a camping lantern, against the sunset background
a hand holds a clear vase with a small bouqet of green branches with leaves

Crafts & Activities

There are so many fun crafts you can do during an outdoor dinner or in prep for one that will make the night feel special. Consider purchasing travel cups for each of your guests and then decorating them as portable kiddush cups for the evening. Or, bring a little summer to your winter with these adorable DIY botanical candle holders.For activities that let you keep your hands snuggled and warm, consider a OneTable discussion guide to elevate your dinner conversation or these 36 questions guaranteed to lead to interesting conversation.

Safety

What’s more hospitable than providing your guests with the tools they need to stay safe and healthy in these times? You can get a pack of disposable masks in case your guests forget theirs, or make it fun — we love these classy satin masks (#barmitzvahvibes), and these “menches wear masks” are everything. For that ~covid chic~ vibe, buy hand sanitizer in bulk and grab a few mini bottles to fill for your guests (they can keep refilling, too). Feelin’ adventurous? Add some essential oils to spice it up a bit and create a calming vibe.

a hand holds a stack of multicolored face masks

Got more? We’d love to hear your creative ideas for how to use Nourishment — reach out to your field manager with any suggestions or inspiration of your own!

This resource was compiled and written by Elie Leaderman-Bray and Annie Prusky, OneTable’s Boston and DMV Field Managers, respectively.

OneTable empowers people who don’t yet have a consistent Shabbat dinner practice to build one that feels authentic, sustainable, and valuable. The OneTable community is funded to support people (21-39ish), not in undergraduate studies, and without an existing weekly Shabbat practice, looking to find and share this powerful experience.

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