OneTable

OneTable invites people to slow down, unplug, join together, and find connection and community. The organization inspires people in their 20s and 30s to create their own Shabbat dinner experiences where strangers become mishpachah. Even if you’re the kind of person who keeps bubkes in your pantry, thanks to OneTable you can host a fabulous Friday night celebration. It offers “nourishment” in the form of online gift cards and offers support through Hub Managers and Shabbat Coaches to fill in gaps in Jewish and hospitality knowledge. And, yes, there’s even a Shabbat hotline for help. After empowering almost 56,000 millennials to build communities and welcome their peers with Shabbat, these coaches are experts.

Why promote Friday night noshing? OneTable believes in the power of Shabbat rituals. The dinner table is a great place for adults in their 20s and 30s to connect, schmooze, and engage in traditions. Shabbat dinner by its nature is a personalized Jewish space, a chance to slow down and enjoy time together in whatever way works for you. Chicago is one of OneTable’s seven hubs, and since 2015, the city has hosted more than 1,000 Shabbat dinners. Some of these are small, 5- to 15-person, home-based meals; and some are the product of large-scale partnerships, like the upcoming dinner series run together with the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago’s Young Leadership Division Pride Committee to better serve the LGBTQ Chicago Jewish community. The OneTable iOS app makes it easy for Shabbat seekers to find their way to these dinners. Hosts post their dinner with information about time, location, cost, capacity, and availability. The app connects users to dinners in more than 90 cities so even if you’re traveling, it’s easy to join a dinner wherever you land. OneTable also hosts gastro-centric Jewish learning events called Nosh:pitalities, which teach skills like pickling and hummus making. In a time when it’s hard to slow down and connect, OneTable provides a meaningful setting to join together, reflect, and celebrate the end of the week with intention.