What if it was no sweat for young Jews in their 20s and 30s to find people their own age to share Shabbat dinner with in New York? And what if it was easy to host Shabbat dinner even if you don’t know a ton of people in town, or a motzi from a matzah, or your way around a kitchen?

“What if” has become “it is.”

Thanks to OneTable NYC, supported by UJA, Jewish young adults in their 20s and 30s can connect over Shabbat dinners they create in their New York neighborhoods. Someone hosts a meal in their home, and guests can sign up online to attend.

Hosts receive a “nourishment credit” of $15 per guest that can be used at food vendors like Whole Foods or Fresh Direct. OneTable also offers Shabbat coaches to answer any questions a host may have, from how to prepare their dinner to how to conduct Shabbat rituals.

So, if a host feels uncertain about what to do, instead of wondering “now what?” there’s an actual person they can turn to for helpful advice.

For Sheridan, a young Jewish adult originally  from L.A. who arrived in New York City last year, OneTable appealed to him the minute he learned about it through Facebook.

“I liked that you could meet a bunch of strangers over a Shabbat meal and how they could be potential friends,” Sheridan says of why he wanted to be a guest. “I thought it was really cool, especially because I didn’t know a lot of people in the city.”

He’s not the only one who liked the idea.

OneTable Clocks 1,500 Shabbat Dinners
Since 2015, when OneTable started in New York, almost 20,000 millennials have participated in nearly 1,500 Shabbat dinners. The dinners take place in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, and reflect the diversity of New York — including dinners for the Russian-speaking Jewish community, the Mizrahi and Sephardic communities, and the LGBTQ Jewish community.

Last September, Sheridan attended his first Shabbat dinner through OneTable NYC, and a few months later he decided to host his own and contacted one of the 25 trained Shabbat coaches.

“I wanted to talk to someone because I grew up very secular,” he says. “My coach went over the basics for the blessings over challah and wine and if anyone wanted to wash their hands and say a blessing. We met once in person and then he forwarded some information.”

Eleven people came, a mix of Sheridan’s friends, people he had met at other dinners, and strangers.

“I tried to make a Persian meal of rice, lentils, and onions,” Sheridan says with a laugh. “I didn’t think it turned out great but people seemed to enjoy it, or they were being polite.”

Sheridan’s still in touch with people he met through OneTable, and although he’s moving to D.C. in the fall to continue his education, Sheridan’s grateful for the meals he attended and hosted.

“I love Shabbat dinners in general.” Sheridan says, “OneTable is a great way to meet people and get a little funding to help pay for the meal.”