OneTable, a North American nonprofit organization that empowers people in their 20s and 30s to envision new rituals and build community through Shabbat dinner, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer. To that end, the organization’s leadership and participants highlighted a decade of impact since the group’s inception in the summer of 2014.
“Like love, Shabbat is an ever-replenishing resource for living a life of meaning and connection,” OneTable co-founder and CEO Aliza Kline said. “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.
Kline pointed to how in the nine months following Oct. 7, more than 75,000 Jewish young adults have gathered at OneTable Shabbat dinners—marking a 40-percent increase from the previous year.
Since 2014, 270,000 participants have made over one million reservations or hosted a dinner through OneTable, including Los Angeles resident Terra Zicklin. Zicklin, who has both hosted and attended OneTable dinners, said the mission of the organization greatly resonated.
“Making time for Shabbat every week is incredibly important to me and OneTable makes hosting or attending a Shabbat dinner accessible and fun!” Zicklin said. “As both a host and participant, I love having the opportunity to gather with my Jewish L.A. 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.”
OneTable, a national nonprofit, empowers young people ages 21-39 to build consistent Shabbat practices through peer-led Shabbat dinners. The organization makes it easy to find, create and share Shabbat experiences.
A recent Birthright Israel trip for young adults with disabilities drew participation among Los Angeles residents.
“My parents thought it would be a worthwhile experience, so I just came to explore more about my heritage and more about who I am,” said 26-year-old Burbank resident Brian Mitchell, one of 21 participants of the trip. Mitchell spoke to the Journal in an interview on June 24 at the Knesset building in Jerusalem, one of the many stops on his Birthright Israel trip.
Their trip organizer was Israel Free Spirit, which works in collaboration with Yachad to provide Birthright experiences for young adults with disabilities.
The 10-day trip in Israel followed a typical Birthright schedule but at a more relaxed pace. The itinerary included interactive, hands-on and accessible activities that spoke to the strength of the participants.
At the Knesset—Israel’s parliamentary building—the group learned the basics of how Israel’s parliamentary system operates. They also got a glimpse into the rambunctious conversations among Knesset members that accompany any legislative decision. Their tour guide also shared the history behind the construction of the Knesset building in Jerusalem, explaining the cornerstone of the building was laid in 1959, several years before the building was opened.
Israeli guide Nitzan Ovadia was among the 12 staff members who led the trip. In an interview, Ovadia—who served as a commander in the IDF’s education unit before becoming a guide—expressed a strong belief in the trip’s mission of bringing the unparalleled Birthright experience to young adults from the disability community.
”I’ve been doing this trip a couple of times now, and I think it’s really beautiful because it does two things: First, to have a trip for them, so they can be equal to their family members and people who they went to camp with, who went on Birthright—they get to have that opportunity as well,” Ovadia said. “Also, it’s an opportunity to be with their peers at the same time. As opposed to other programs, where you integrate, here they can be themselves, so it’s a really unique opportunity for them.”
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