When Liat heard about UJA’s CommUnity Shabbat Weekend on February 10th and 11th, and the need for hosts, she knew she would step up. After all, she hosted Shabbat dinners all the time. But this time, she had a specific charge.

Liat wanted to honor the weekend’s goal of celebrating Shabbat and connecting with the broader Jewish community in New York over Jewish-themed dinners. So she reached out beyond her usual circle of Shabbat dinner friends and invited couples from interfaith marriages — including Muslim and Catholic partners — and their young children to join her family.

The families gathered at Liat’s home in Manhattan were part of 6,500 community members who came together over Shabbat in homes, community centers, and synagogues to connect with the diversity of the New York Jewish community.

Liat’s eight adult guests chose the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as their topic for discussion, and she made sure the 11 children ate first so they could play while the adults sat for their conversation.

“The conversation we had was about how important it was to bring us all together through beautiful rituals and traditions during this divisive time in our country,” Liat said. “Bringing us together around a Shabbat dinner sounds like a small effect, but it can lead to a big impact as we move forward with our discussions with our children.”

The couples enjoyed the Shabbat candles and prayers for challah and wine and the Middle Eastern meal Liat prepared.

“It was nice to share our customs and beautiful to do this with a wider circle of friends at the end of the week,” Liat said. “It helped me think about Shabbat in another way. I’d like to continue to do this.”