Young people looking for a chance to meet other young Jews in a non-pressure situation should look no further than the Community Kollel of Kansas City’s Shabbat Live program. About five times each year the Kollel brings young Jewish professionals in their 20s and 30s together to do one simple thing — enjoy a Shabbat meal.
Rabbi Binyomin Davis, who coordinates the program, said Shabbat Live is one of the Kollel’s most popular programs, bringing together anywhere from 40 to 70 people at each event.
“They all come together and enjoy a large Shabbat dinner together in a relaxed and friendly environment,” Rabbi Davis explained.
The Friday night dinners are always held in a private home.
“We clear out a space, move some furniture and set up tables and chairs so we can have a traditional Shabbat dinner,” Rabbi Davis said.
“It’s a nice way for people in that age group to come and enjoy a Jewish event together,” he said.
Young adults are invited primarily through Facebook and e-mail. Those who enjoy the program also help spread the word.
“We encourage people to bring a friend, and that’s been very effective,” said Rabbi Davis, who said a date for the next Shabbat Live hasn’t been chosen yet. He expects it to be sometime in August after a venue has been determined.
An invitation from a friend is how Micah Charyn discovered the program. He and his wife were invited to the June Shabbat Live by Joy Friedman. Friedman attended her first Shabbat Live in January at the invitation of Rabbi Davis. She is now a regular, and loves those evenings.
“I like the communal feeling and camaraderie. I also like doing the traditional Kabbalat Shabbat and eating with other people my age doing it under the auspices of Judaism,” Friedman said.
Charyn was so inspired by the event he called The Chronicle to sing its praises. He particularly enjoys the fact that Jews of all denominations attend.
“It encompasses a very wide net and the entire net is made up of Jewish fabric,” said Charyn, who hails from Chattanooga, Tenn., and moved here a little more than a year ago. “It doesn’t matter if you are super Reform, unaffiliated, confused or religious … all of these identities that young Jewish professional go through until they realize who they are as a Jew. You find all these people together in this big net at a Shabbos dinner and it is so nice and rewarding.”
Charyn said it’s great to know that you don’t have to worry about bringing any food with you and what they serve is “magnificent and all kosher.”
“It’s good and it appeals to people who like to eat out in restaurants, like many of us, including my wife and me, do often,” Charyn said.
Rabbi Davis and the Kollel staff, primarily he and his wife, Gevura, do most of the cooking.
“It’s a lot of work but it saves money on a caterer. We try to be very responsible with our community dollars. We don’t mind pushing our sleeves up and going to bed very late for this project,” he said.
The challahs, which Charyn said are delicious, were provided by Jay Robinow, M.D.
“He makes about 20 to 30 challahs every week and hands them out around the Jewish community,” Rabbi Davis said.
One of the reasons the Kollel sponsors this event, Rabbi Davis, said, is because it’s one of the few young professional events in town that actually has a religious component to it.
“I think it’s important to have a Jewish experience outside of the social area,” he said. “It is unique in that way and the community is backing it because of that.”
Charyn said he enjoys this event precisely because it’s different than a lot of young professional events.
“There are two types of energies at those events,” he said. “The first is networking and if you’re single it’s a good place to meet a nice Jewish counterpart. What attracted me to Shabbat Live is it’s neither of the two. It’s just about having a nice meaningful evening with good food and be around people who just want to be Jewish, who don’t want to be alone and want to make Shabbos with us.”
“At Shabbat Live you get to eat, sing and hang out with some really fun people,” he continued.
Friedman said she keeps attending Shabbat Live events because she’s developed a lot of relationships from it.”
“I think it’s been a way for me to celebrate Shabbat with people I already care about, but it’s also a chance for me to meet new people, some of whom have become my good friends.”