s l o w d o w n.

Introducing the first ever episode OneTable’s PAUSE series: A Shabbat “Quarandary” starring Jesse Kovarsky (The Band’s Visit, Fiddler On The Roof, Sleep No More).

Based in Jewish tradition, Shabbat — and its teaching that spending meaningful time connecting with friends and family — is for everyone. Much like yoga or meditation can be, Shabbat is an act of peaceful rebellion against a constantly moving world. When this isolating global pandemic took hold, OneTable was looking for a way to keep the magic of Friday night Shabbat going when every day feels the same. #takeaPAUSE with OneTable every month as creators mix ritual with innovation, asking and answering the questions: What do we do with the things we inherit? What can we gain from taking a PAUSE? How might we imagine the world not as it is, but as it could be? Want to dive deeper into Shabbat? Head to onetable.org. ✨ You can watch the first video above, and stay tuned on Instagram (@onetableshabbat) or onetable.org/pause as featured artists offer their personal interpretation of the traditions, intentions, and contemporary applications of Shabbat ritual through digital performance art, spoken word, dance, song, humor, meditation and more.

“I don’t really have an active Shabbat practice and am often pleasantly delighted when I even remember it’s Shabbat — so there’s a resistance to using candlesticks, because there’s an emotional distance from their traditional use. I wanted to showcase the fragility of that resistance, remembering that I can totally own my flamboyant identity and add over-the-top decorations to invite the ritual of Shabbat in a way that feels more like the moment of pause I need in my week — and the Shabbat table I want to show up for.” — Jesse Kovarsky

Brought to you by OneTable

Produced by: Adam Kantor with Gesundheit Media and Eric Kuhn.