Welcome to OneTable. Welcome to Better Fridays.
Inspired by ancient Jewish wisdom, OneTable is a national non-profit that empowers folks (21-39ish) to find, share, and enjoy Shabbat dinners, making the most of their Friday nights.
Our social dining platform makes it easy for you to become the producer of your own experiences, and for Shabbat dinner to become a platform for community building.
We provide simple DIY tools so hosts can get right to welcoming people to a Shabbat dinner in their home, so guests can savor a Friday meal, and for all to experience unique events for Shabbat dinners right in their neighborhood. We do this because we believe good food and good conversation with great people is simply good for you.
Led by our core values of joy, welcoming, and elevation, we envision a whole generation of young people slowing down, getting together, unplugging from the week, creating intention in their lives, and building meaningful communities.
Ready to learn more? Check out OneTable FAQs.
Connect with a member of our team or stay up-to-date with OneTable offerings with our weekly SideDish email.
Share the gift of Shabbat with a donation to OneTable.
Friday Night Magic for the Burnout Generation
You’ve probably read more articles on “burnout” than you can remember. We know young adults are facing an epidemic of loneliness, isolation, and addiction to technology. So what’s the solution? OneTable, led by Founder and CEO Aliza Kline, dove into extensive research looking for answers.
People in their 20s and 30s needed tools to break down the barriers to hosting – access to education, financial resources, and to each other. We learned that Shabbat has the power to become an antidote to loneliness, empowering people to find and build offline communities of their own. With what we learned, we created the OneTable digital platform and peer-to-peer engagement strategy. We’ve served over 166,000 Shabbat participants in eight years and that initial passion for research is an ongoing pillar of our work.
Shabbat: The Most Ancient ~Wellness~ Ritual
Shabbat, much like yoga or meditation for some, is an act of rebellion against a constantly moving world. We bring ritual to the table not because we have to, but because disconnecting in order to intentionally connect, separate from the work week, and build community is holy – and really good for you.
Our work creates an opportunity for everyone to better engage in their own work. Taking intentional time each week to recharge means everyone can return to their work (whether corporate, justice-oriented, creative, or otherwise) with fresh energy and focus.
Setting the Table: The OneTable Story
OneTable was created to help young adults connect – to find and host Shabbat dinners that are accessible and habitual. In just eight years, OneTable has grown from a small startup into one of the largest, most successful interventions for young Jewish adults in America. So far, we’ve been able to support the Shabbat practice for over 175,000 unique participants in 470 cities. At our current growth rate, OneTable will surpass 250,000 unique participants by the end of 2023.
We’ve invested seriously in research, personnel, and technology to ensure that everyone can experience the full beauty of Shabbat. Here’s what’s on the OneTable menu:
- Local staff (in ten hub cities coast-to-coast) support individuals in crafting a weekly Shabbat dinner practice that feels accessible and meaningful to them.
- OneTable’s platform (onetable.org or iOS app) guides hosts with planning and hosting tips and helps guests find Shabbat experiences near them. Like AirBnB for Shabbat dinners, hosts create online profiles, post their dinners, and invite guests. Guests can easily scroll through event descriptions to find their perfect dinner, then request a seat at that table.
- Nourishment is a resource OneTable offers to hosts looking to elevate their dinner. Our nourishment selections include gift cards for great food from local restaurants, national chains, Jewish cookbooks, or even Etsy for some table decor! We have what you need to make the most of your Friday night.
- Digital Jewish resources like blessing recordings, ritual guides, tips for hosting, guesting, and more are created or curated by our Partnerships + Jewish Learning Team. OneTable resources are designed for everyone whether you’re hosting Shabbat for the first time or the 100th.
- OneTable Hosted Gatherings: hands-on events focusing on hospitality skill-building, Jewish learning, and community creation that can be brought to your Shabbat table.
Beyond Scale
At OneTable, we are proud of how well we know our participants. Most of our staff, including senior leadership, are part of the demographic we serve and are OneTable hosts and guests as well. OneTable’s Jewish Learning team is supported by the OneTable Educational Advisory Board, a dream team of experts from a variety of areas in the field who strategize with us so that we can create, curate, and deliver diverse educational content that will resonate with the OneTable community.
Meet Our:
OneTable has become a thought leader for 20s and 30s community experiences – organizations like REALITY and Birthright Israel hire OneTable to design their custom Shabbat experiences.
The OneTable formula is simple, cost-effective, and impactful (so much so that we’re now working to get our technology and tools into the hands of businesses working with different demographics and event types – see below!).
The OneTable formula is simple, cost effective, and is having an impact. Survey respondents* say that because of OneTable:
- 87% find meaning in spending time with community on Shabbat
- 72% say Shabbat adds a spiritual dimension to their Friday night
- 65% try to pause and relax at the end of the week
- 53% feel Friday night is different from the rest of the week
*See “Beyond Scale,” a report analyzing survey and focus group data collected by Rosov Consulting in spring 2017, and our Logic Model for more.
Safety & Shabbat Community Standards
We work to ensure that all OneTable staff, users of the OneTable platform, and participants of OneTable events feel welcome and safe. Our platform is dedicated to facilitating a positive, welcoming Shabbat dinner experience.
Community building is made possible in safe environments. We take safety very seriously. We do not tolerate harassment or disrespect of OneTable participants or staff in any form.
The OneTable workplace follows the strictest legal guidelines and ethical standards to offer an office culture that is equitable, safe, and nurturing to each individual. We adhere to the highest standards for prevention, education, and training. OneTable strives to be a leader in offering resources and knowledge to our team to assure these measures are consistently implemented and effective.
Our Codes of Conduct are based on our core values, and we ask our participants to follow both the word and spirit of it, keeping in mind that each of us is an important part of community-building and Shabbat-celebrating. It is crucial to our mission that each person feels respected and that everyone comes to each OneTable associated space with their best intentions.
Read through the Codes of Conduct (Host & Guest) for our full safety statement. Please also read through our full Terms and Conditions, which you must agree to in order to use the OneTable website or app.
Financial Statements
Trying to Get That Challah
Over the last eight years, our annual budget has grown from $870,000 to over $8,500,000, while our cost per participant has steadily declined. We are now at a turning point. With a strong presence in ten hub cities and participants in more than 600 cities, we are well-positioned to address the most pressing challenges facing this generation of young adults.
Currently, we are seeking new philanthropic and corporate partners to help us meet our ever-growing demand and to help us expand in mutually beneficial ways.
Table talk:
