Elul, the last month of the year on the Jewish calendar, is often marked as a sacred time to set intentions and prepare for the new year and High Holidays. To help folks connect to this time, we’re offering our hosts the opportunity to tap into our Permission to Unplug program during the month of Elul. Permission to Unplug helps us explore how we can take on a modern tech-free mindset to connect to Shabbat. To learn more, check out our Elul and Permission to Unplug page. 

Falling between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Shabbat Shuva (the Shabbat of Return) ushers in a unique opportunity to reflect on the year that passed and welcome in the year to come. Some folks consider this to be Shabbat Teshuva the Shabbat of Repentance — a prevalent theme during the Days of Awe and High Holidays. The Hebrew words teshuva and shuva are actually very closely related, both with themes pertaining to returning to our true selves. This OneTable guide will help you host a Friday night dinner on Friday, September 26, to delve into what some consider the most important Shabbat of the year: the first of the Hebrew year and right before Yom Kippur.

Sukkot is a special holiday which highlights all of OneTable’s core values: joy, welcoming, and elevation. Sukkot is, in many ways, our off-ramp for the High Holidays, going all in on joy to help us come down from this heady and sacred time. The Shabbat of Sukkot is no exception. We went all in on joy, elevation, and welcoming by commissioning unique art for this Sukkot Shabbat Guide from New York-based artist Eitan Gutenmacher. Not just beautiful decor, this guide will take you through Sukkot Shabbat, highlighting the special additions of this nature-based holiday. Whether you’re inside or out, in a sukkah or at a dinner table, celebrate Sukkot Shabbat on Friday, October 10.

This year, we’re excited to honor the creation story. In Jewish tradition, the world is created in an evolution of seven days: six days of work that culminate in the seventh day, Shabbat, a day of rest. Shabbat is not a postscript, it is as important a part of bringing the world into being as any of the days of active creativity. On Friday, October 17, Jewish people around the world will all read the first Torah portion, Bereishit, which prominently features this creation story. In order to fully embrace our origin story on this incredible Shabbat, we teamed up with the Jewish Studio Project to offer you a way to embody this Shabbat of Creativity. 

If the arts are not your thing, check out our resource to help you incorporate this story into your Shabbat dinner, made in partnership with the Simchat Torah Challenge.

The anniversary of October 7 falls during Sukkot on the Gregorian calendar, and on Simchat Torah during the Hebrew calendar. The High Holidays will likely feel different this year, regardless of when, how, or if you are commemorating October 7. If you want to host a October 7 commemoration Shabbat, this guide will offer you options from Shabbat Shuva through the Shabbat immediately following Simchat Torah. These holidays offer opportunities to reflect on the past year, process emotions, engage in discussion, and share experiences that may bring clarity, comfort, or a sense of relief. Draw inspiration from the High Holiday traditions to honor the events of October 7 and the year that has passed since. Use this guide alone or in tandem with our other holiday guides to incorporate rituals, discussions, or moments of self-reflection.

We’re here to help! For questions, contact your Field Team rep or email our Senior Jewish Educator Jessica Rosenberg at jessicarosenberg@onetable.org.