Jewish Promise Shabbat
The Shabbat table has been a place for Jewish conversation, connection, and creativity for generations We've partnered with the Jewish Promise to create this guide to using the Shabbat table as the perfect place to make your commitment to the Jewish future in your own unique way, just as you've created a Shabbat practice with OneTable in your own unique way. Follow the steps below to guide your guests in signing the Jewish Promise and writing a letter to your future self.
Step 1: Discuss
As you participate in signing the Jewish Promise, and gather at your Shabbat table to write letters to your future selves, feel free to use these discussion questions to get you started: What did your personal Jewish life and Shabbat practice look like before you got involved with OneTable?
How have you changed and evolved since beginning to attend Shabbat dinners?
What do you feel like is the next natural step in building your Jewish life?
What values have emerged as being essential to your Jewish practice?
How do you think OneTable has supported the emergence of those values?
If you could share one aspect of Jewish life with Jewish young adults around the country, what would it be? How would you describe it to them?
What do you think the future of your involvement in the Jewish community will look like?
Step 2: Write
As you sit down to write your letters, ensure you and your guests have pens, paper, and anything else they'll need to write this letter to their future selves. When writing your letter, consider:
What is important to you now that you think is important for your future self to know?
What do you want your future self to remember about this time?
What are your hopes and dreams for your future self and their involvement in the Jewish community?
Step 3: Share
After you finish writing your letters, go around and share what it felt like to articulate these thoughts, feelings, and plans to your future self. Ask your guests to share either highlights from their letters or how they approached the process of writing the letter to their future selves. Ask your guests to share one hope or dream for the future.
The Jewish Promise is your connection to your past Jewish experiences. By promising to act today and throughout your lifetime to strengthen the Jewish people and Israel, you have the responsibility to ensure that your generation writes the next chapter of the Jewish story and remains a strong link in the chain of generations. As you commit yourself to being a part of the Jewish people, the letter you write goes into a digital time capsule and will be sent back to you every 5 years for the next 20 as a reminder of your commitment to your Judaism and your experience as a OneTable host.
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