Shabbos Project overdone

Aubrey Lampert, Johannesburg

This may be exciting, but I and many others believe that people have lost interest in the project.

When it started, everyone was excited. Houses got together, and arranged a communal Friday night evening. Trestle tables were laid, and the house owners, their family, and friends all came to celebrate. There were street parties. I went to a street party in Glenhazel, where there were about 20 trestle tables, and at least 250 people.

This year, I have not heard of a single street party, and after celebrating Shabbos dinner and viewing the streets in Glenhazel, I did not see a single party going on. Many shuls in the first few Shabbos Projects had massive dinners for congregants, family, and friends. This year, I did not hear about a single shul dinner.

Let’s talk about the Challah Bake. In the early years, there were thousands of participants. This year, every one of the girls I spoke to said it was disappointing, with many empty places and bowls.

The Challah Bake appears to have become a social event – somewhere to be seen. I know of a girl who has been making challahs every Friday night, and on the yom tovim. When she told a friend that she wasn’t going to the Challah Bake, the friend was flabbergasted that she would not be seen.

I have a question for the chief rabbi. With all his knowledge about which towns and cities were involved, does he know how many ladies who have never made a challah in their life and who go to the Challah Bake, continue to make challah in the following weeks? I would guess zilch!

We are told that everything is donated, so instead of a Challah Bake, why don’t you ask the donors of the products, flags, advertising material, and so on, to rather give cash, and donate it to the thousands of people who need food assistance?

At the same time, I would like to ask the rabbi if he is able to tell us how many people who keep Shabbos during the Shabbos Project continue to keep Shabbos every week thereafter – no riding of cars, walking long distances to shul, having a cholent lunch, and most importantly, not watching TV.