(Courtesy of JLE) At this time of tension and uncertainty in our homeland, and with the waves of helplessness and horror we’re feeling in the Diaspora, the Jewish people have once again shown themselves to be resilient. Regardless of what we disagreed upon yesterday, we have each other’s backs today and always. We never fail to come together, unify as a people, and support each other.
One local event that always brings together Jews of all backgrounds is the annual Shabbat Project Friday night dinner held at Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck. Whether you are Torah-observant or a Jew with little religious knowledge, this event was created specifically for you. And, there’s something meaningful you can add to the evening: The organizations involved are asking all the religious Jews who hear about the event to invite lesser-affiliated Jews they know, such as relatives, neighbors and co-workers. The organizers are counting on everyone to spread the word and help more Jews experience this mitzvah.
Co-hosting the dinner with Beth Aaron is the JLE (Jewish Learning Experience of Bergen County). The JLE is a kiruv organization staffed by passionate volunteers who run the gamut from those who grew up with virtually no Jewish education to others who grew up in fully Orthodox homes. The JLE holds numerous events throughout the year, and each one is designed to cater to lesser-affiliated Jews, yet these events can also hold the interest of growth-oriented religious Jews.
JLE board member Shulamis Hes, chair of this year’s Shabbat Project dinner, said” “Everyone knows at least one person who might want to attend the Shabbat Project. Maybe your cousin, colleague, accountant. And you don’t need to work hard to sell it. You are offering a musically uplifting prayer service followed by a delicious, multi-course dinner at a reasonable cost topped off by entertainment from Jewbiliation.”
Hes has a knack for encouraging people to attend various types of shul events, although it usually doesn’t take as long as a decade to get them there. “I met Jonathan [not his real name] 10 years ago when shopping at a department store. After five years of my cajoling, he finally agreed to attend our Shabbat Project 2022. His enthusiasm was palpable. He loved the singing, the rabbi’s message, and the company at his table.”
Congregation Beth Aaron has been co-hosting the Shabbat Project dinners since the JLE first began participating in 2017. “As soon as I heard about the event I thought it was a beautiful idea. It didn’t take more than three seconds to agree to host. It sounded amazing and we wanted to be a part of it,” said Moishe B. Singer, current president of Beth Aaron and former president of the Men’s Club.
The Shabbat Project originated in South Africa when Rabbi Warren Goldstein wanted to create a Shabbat experience appealing to Jews who didn’t have Shabbat in their lives. It soon became an international movement celebrated in Jewish communities all over the world. The single thread that connects all these different communities is they hold their events over the same Shabbat each year.
For the JLE/Beth Aaron dinner many of the same local Orthodox couples and families attend the event every year, making them repeat customers and proving how much the event is enjoyed. It should inspire even more spirit this year as Jews will have an opportunity to bond with fellow Jews during this tumultuous time.
Between the many volunteers of the JLE and Rabbi Larry Rothwachs of Beth Aaron, along with the rebbetzin Chaviva, attendees may find this year’s dinner to be the most spiritually uplifting one yet.
For more information or to sign up, please contact JLE director Rabbi Jesse Shore at 610-329-2953 or at [email protected] or visit https://www.bethaaron.org/event/Shabbatproject23
