Online, international Shabbos Project breaks boundaries

This Shabbat, the Shabbos Project is being held in more than 1 600 cities and 106 countries around the world. This year, it’s arriving in a world transformed by the coronavirus – and the project has had to reinvent itself.

Among the pre-Shabbat events scheduled are virtual challah bakes, online classes about Shabbat, cooking webcasts, global “singathons”, and virtual synagogue tours.

A silver lining of the online events is that geographical barriers have dissolved. Seed UK will broadcast an extraordinary 24-hour challah bake featuring 19 different live events from cities such as Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Sydney, Moscow, Toronto, and New York. A pre-Shabbat event in Arizona featuring Latino pop singer Miriam Sandler will include participants from four continents. And in the wake of the Abraham Accords, an event hosted in Israel will include the Jewish communities of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Dubai.

In Argentina, a challah bake will unite Jewish communities in 32 cities across the country for the first time. And Long Island’s Cook and Connect event, featuring young cooking sensation and Chopped winner Rachel Goldzal, will bring together teenagers from around the world to share traditional Shabbat dishes and cultural cuisines.

Other highlights this year include Mizrachi UK’s Shabbaton at Home, involving more than 30 000 Jewish households and 75 shuls across the country, with thousands of Shabbat booklets distributed to enhance the Shabbat experience. The event will kick off with a pre-Shabbat launch on 5 November featuring Israeli singer Ishay Ribo, as well as live addresses by UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and South Africa Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein, and will conclude on Saturday night with a live Zoom Havdalah followed by the Great UK Shabbaton at Home Quiz.

In Kfar Yona, the ministry of education in association with the local municipality is sending a “Shabbat kit” – with candles, a song book, challah ingredients, and other items – to every single resident in the town, and encouraging neighbours to exchange challahs with each other.

Panama has a wide range of events planned for the Shabbos Project, including a series of one-minute video classes, a learning programme for Hatzolah first responders on the laws of Shabbos relating to emergency care, a special Shabbos programme for residents of an old age home, and the delivery of Shabbos meals to families economically affected by COVID-19.

In Mexico City, a special challah bake for Batmitzvah girls will help alleviate some of the disappointment of not being able to celebrate their Batmitzvah with their friends and extended family.

In Los Angeles, a Jewish vegan organisation will be hosting a Shabbat cooking class with a difference – a demo on swapping mushrooms and jackfruit for chicken and brisket. In Atlanta, the Beth Jacob congregation has launched an erev Shabbat challenge, encouraging the community to bring in Shabbos at midday on Friday to avoid the rush and extend the day. And in Rhode Island, organisers will be gifting a Shabbos Box – including tea lights, grape juice, Shabbos treats, and a Havdalah set – to anyone who commits to upgrading their Shabbos observance for a week.

Elsewhere, a group of Israeli volunteers will be cooking and delivering Shabbat meals to Magen David Adom first responders in Ra’anana, Herzliya, and Kfar Saba. A website in Denver is offering Shabbat meals, Shabbat classes, and Shabbat “survival kits” on demand. And an all-day “women’s day” event hosted in Netanya will feature international singers, filmmakers, and celebrity chefs.

In Boulogne, acclaimed Jewish historian Emmanuel Attyasse is leading a virtual tour of old Jewish France. And in Karnei Shomron, members of the religious Zionist Bnei Akiva and largely secular Tzofim youth movements will be working together to deliver food parcels and flowers to residents of the town affected by COVID-19.