CHICAGO -- As the sun began to set on a recent Friday evening, more than 25 millennial-age guests gathered at the Lakeview apartment of brothers Adam, 25, and Andrew Kouba, 27, to partake in a communal welcoming-in of the Jewish Sabbath.
The group greeted guests with hugs and kisses and "Happy Shabbats." At sundown, they moved into the dining area to read Hebrew prayers for light, wine and bread (challah).
Raised in a reformed Jewish household in Illinois' Western Springs before attending college in Pennsylvania and moving to Chicago, Adam Kouba recounted how friends helped rekindle his interest in the religion.
"I consider myself more culturally Jewish than religious, but because I appreciate the social aspect of Judaism, I look for opportunities to connect and build community."
Following the "formalized" part of the evening, folks descended on the kitchen for a buffet-style pasta bar dinner featuring gluten-free noodles and a variety of toppings. A departure from the more standard Shabbat fare of roasted chicken, brisket and noodle kugel, the Koubas' offering paid homage to the hosts' individuality while reflecting a modern version of a centuries-old religious practice.
In a second break from tradition, whereby no work or physical exertion is supposed to occur on the Sabbath, and following the evening's theme -- Shabbat, Wine and Canvas -- Adam Kouba's after-dinner activity featured painting on canvases.
Adam Kouba partnered with two national nonprofit organizations: One Table, helped with food, and Moishe House, donated art supplies.
Since the New York-based nonprofit organization's official launch in 2014, One Table has helped raise young Jewish people's awareness of and participation in Shabbat rituals with more than 2,400 unique dinners. With chapters in four cities (New York, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco), the organization plans to add two more cities per year. Among those being considered for the next installment are Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington.
"We're religious about Friday, but beyond that, Shabbat can be whatever you want it to be," said Marissa Freeman, One Table's Chicago city manager. "We're trying to help young, post-college, pre-family Jewish people create a personally meaningful Shabbat. ... We are all about ending the week with intention."
One Table provides approved hosts with gift cards to buy food, allotting $15 per guest, with a maximum amount of $150.
"We want to help create a space where young people can test what they may want their lifelong Shabbat practices to look like," Freeman said. "Though it may change over time, they may use our resources to make those decisions."
One Table is helping to usher in a new era of Shabbat that is more about meaningful connection than prescribed traditions.
"Younger Jews have mixed feelings about religion," said Hannah Litvin, 27, a One Table host in Philadelphia who has hosted four Shabbat dinners. "We only learn one narrative, and that can be very alienating."
Post-college and living on her own, Litvin sought out a like-minded community of people with shared similar life experiences and values.
"No room in my life for Orthodox practices," she said, "but Shabbat is beautiful and way more liberal."
Like Litvin, many millennials move to new cities and are eager to build a social network.
Stefanie Adler, a 23-year-old nanny living in San Francisco, believes that Shabbat helps create a sense of community. Having also lived in Israel for a year, she developed a fondness for the ritual of Friday night Shabbat dinners, she said.
"Everyone there does dinner on Friday night. It is a time when people get together," Adler said.
Aliza Kline, One Table's New York-based executive director, said the organization conducted extensive research and held focus groups to better understand Jewish millennials' practices and ideas. After determining that the level of engagement was based on the individual's life stage, the group tailored its approach to be social and communal.
"In all, it really is about finding joy and connection. ... The idea behind Shabbat is fulfillment, renewal and replenishment," Kline said.
Religion on 10/15/2016