Through Covid, October 7, and more, Shabbat has been a space for reflection and community for hundreds of thousands

July 11, 2024 — OneTable, a North American nonprofit organization that empowers people in their 20s and 30s to envision new rituals and build community through Shabbat dinner, highlighted the organization’s decade of impact since its inception in the summer of 2014.

“Like love, Shabbat is an ever-replenishing resource for living a life of meaning and connection,” said OneTable co-founder and CEO Aliza Kline. “Over the past ten years our lives have been turned upside down many times over — and OneTable Shabbat has been a constant. During Covid, when every day felt similar, Shabbat reminded us what day of the week it was. 

“Since October 7, Shabbat has offered us both an oasis and a reminder of a better future. Ahad Ha’am’s infinite wisdom feels truer and truer every week, ‘More than the Jewish people keep Shabbat, Shabbat keeps the Jewish people.’ In fact, in the nine months following October 7, 2023, more than 75,000 Jewish young adults have gathered at OneTable Shabbat dinners, which is 40% higher than the previous year.”

OneTable reached these milestones in just ten years:

• Dinner Reservations: 1 million+ (1,054,000)
• Dinners: 137,600
• Locations: 700+
• Total Participants: 270,000
• 2020 launched Powered By OneTable, adapting and customizing its technology and peer engagement model for other organizations
• 2023 expanded to 50ish+/new generations with OneTable Together

“As OneTable turns 10, I am extremely proud of all we have accomplished and humbled by the OneTable communities that have brought our world closer,” said board chair Rob Orley. “Just imagine what the creative connections and embrace of Jewish life and wisdom OneTable can inspire in the next ten years!”

Beyond the numbers, OneTable’s impact is very personal to the 270,000 participants who have made over 1 million reservations or hosted a dinner, including:

Matthew Berman, New York:

“My first OneTable Shabbat dinner was just after I moved to New York City.  I had moved back to the US after spending two years living in Israel and was really seeking that magic of spontaneous Shabbat connections and conversations that happened in Israel. A friend I met in Israel and I decided to co-host a dinner and see what would happen; we invited a few people we knew but left the other invites up to chance. We ended up having an incredible meal that lasted hours! People of diverse backgrounds — religious and secular, traditional and progressive, extroverts and introverts — came together to share in each other’s presence under the light of the Shabbat candles. It felt like those Shabbats in Israel but also was something more because we had created it together. Without OneTable, we would never have made so many connections nor would we have been able to afford hosting so many people. I’m always looking forward to the next Friday night to host or to attend and I am so grateful for OneTable’s commitment to bringing us together.”

Terra Zicklin, LA:

“Making time for Shabbat every week is incredibly important to me and OneTable makes hosting or attending a Shabbat dinner accessible and fun! As both a host and participant, I love having the opportunity to gather with my Jewish LA community to light Shabbat candles. OneTable not only allows us to explore traditional practices but also encourages new and meaningful ways to experience Jewish joy together.”

About OneTable:

OneTable empowers people who don’t yet have a consistent Shabbat dinner practice to build one that feels authentic, sustainable, and valuable. OneTable is a national nonprofit funded to support people (21-39ish) looking to find and share this powerful experience. We envision a whole generation of slowing down, joining together, unplugging from the week, creating intention in their lives, and building meaningful communities.