Shabbos Project returns Oct. 21

The Shabbos Project is returning on Oct. 21, with organizers aiming for 3 million participants worldwide, up from 1 million last year.

Orthodox communities along the South Shore, major players last year, are expected to be a big part of the success of this year’s movement, which is keyed to parshas Lech Lecha.

The Shabbos Project, initiated in South Africa, aims to spread the beauty and spirituality of Shabbos to Jews of all backgrounds and religious practices everywhere. 

Observant Jews are asked to invite their less religious co-workers, neighbors, friends and relatives over for a Shabbos meal, communal challah baking and special shul events.

For the Five Towns, the weekend of kiruv will open with a Wednesday night challah bake at the Sands Atlantic Beach. Last year’s bake, organized by Adina Fishlewitz and Sima Gefen, drew over 1,200 woman and girls who mixed and kneaded, learned about the spiritual aspects of challah, recited the brachah in unison, sang, danced and hugged. 

This year’s challah bake MC, author Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff, said he was expecting over 1,600 participants.

“The amazing Adina Fishlewitz contacted me after reading my new book ‘Jew Got Questions?’ which is full of Qs&As on every Jewish topic secular Jews are interested in. She then called me and said ‘I want everyone at the challah bake to receive a free copy’!”

He urged local frum families to invite at least one secular friend or neighbor. “This is a wonderful opportunity to change a life,” he said.

“As Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein of South Africa says, ‘there is a world before the Shabbos Project, and there is a world after the Shabbos Project. It’s not the same world’,” Rabbi Hajioff said.

“For years, people puzzled over a way to unite world Jewry,” said Yossi Schwartz, one of this year’s organizers.

“Two years ago, South Africa’s Chief Rabbi came up with this idea: South Africans from all levels of observance chose one Shabbos and joined together with challah bakes, shabbos meals, and one unifying havdala concert. For many, it was the first time they kept Shabbos in any capacity.