An annual event hosted by the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and sponsored by Hillel aims to bring 1,500 Jewish students together for an on-campus Shabbat dinner.
Shabbat 1500, an event held at Binghamton University since 1996 in honor of the Jewish Sabbath, a day of rest and spiritual enrichment, will take place in the East Gym at 5:45 p.m. Friday.
Organizers said they expect the event this year will be bigger and better than ever before, with more Hillel and Greek Life participation.
To improve the event, coordinators will split the East Gym into colored sections and post maps outside the gym. This will allow people to find their tables in an orderly and timely manner, which has been difficult in the past.
A capella groups, including BU’s Kaskeset and Rak Shalom, a group from Maryland, will perform. Students can also look forward to hearing a motivational speaker, along with candle lighting and a traditional Shabbat dinner. A team of students will prepare a meal including chicken, rice, meatballs, pasta salad and various desserts. Optional prayer services will also be offered after the meal.
The event began as Shabbat 1000, but in 2007, after exceeding 1,000 attendees for a number of years, its name was changed from Shabbat 1000 to Shabbat 1500.
Tobey Lass, a senior majoring in human development with a minor in Judaic studies, is co-coordinating the program. She said this celebration aims to blend a diverse group of students in a meaningful Jewish experience.
“It’s a really great thing to see 1,500 Jewish students all together in the same room, despite any of their differences or religious practices,” Lass said. “It’s the idea of unity, and it’s a feeling of comfort.”
Tova Stark, vice president of Chabad and a senior majoring in human development and Judaic studies, said that Shabbat 1500 welcomes students who do not regularly attend the weekly Shabbat dinners on campus, along with the students who do.
“Many people come to Shabbat 1500 because they feel more comfortable with a larger group of people,” Stark said. “The goal is to open up an experience of a Shabbat dinner and to show that we have a strong Jewish population on this campus. It’s about pride.”
Shabbat 1500 is a free event and organizers strongly recommend reserving a table by visiting www.shabbat1500.com.
Students who wish to volunteer to help set up the event and serve food can contact Lass at tobeysarah@gmail.com.