This event, a combined idea and effort of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Rav of Congregation Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion, and Mrs. Sora Wolasky, was sponsored by Jerry and Sora Wolasky. Sora has served on the Steering Committee of the Baltimore Shabbat Project for three years. Standing together with her mother, Evelyn Sokol, she provided me with the update, “People kept coming and we opened up tables and chairs for 700. We partnered with 13 shuls and invited the rest of the community to join us; over 700 people participated.”

A warm feeling of achdus permeated the hall, as Rabbi Hauer addressed the audience, and Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer (Rav of Shearith Israel) and Rabbi Shmuel Silber (Rav of Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim) shared Divrei Torah in commemoration of the Baltimore Shabbat Project. It was uplifting to hear zemiros led by Rabbi Menachem Goldberger (Rav of Congregation Tiferes Yisroel) and watch the men dance between the several rows of tables set with rolls and a variety of salads, cakes and cookies.

After Maariv, Nossi Gross of Zemer Orchestra, backed up by Eli Cohen, Matt Schoenfeld, and Ben Temin, opened up the musical Havdalah service with "Gott Foon Avraham" [composed by Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, z”l], traditionally recited three times consecutively on Motzei Shabbos prior to Havdalah. After Havdalah, more heartfelt dancing followed, in both the men’s and women’s sections of the shul.

At the end of the evening, I had the pleasure of catching just some of the participants for their reactions to this first-time event.

Rabbi Menachem Goldberger feels, “It was a beautiful event. It was nachusdik to share the Shabbos with our community and to be together as one. We should continue to do that, with G-d’s help, at least once a year.”

Rabbi Moshe Hauer added, “It’s beyond words. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful coming together for the community for a wonderful thing. It’s good to get a chance to come together for something beautiful and life-affirming, Boruch Hashem!”

Emunah Friedman, who attends Congregation Tiferes Yisroel, said, “I think we should do it more often. I think it is a great way of bringing the community together. It’s a totally pareve playing field and you feel a lot of achdus.” Emunah was the STAR-K mashgicha for Catering by Yaffa when the electricity went out for about a half-hour, moments before Shabbos, at Dr. Michael and Mrs. Linda Elman’s Friday night Baltimore Shabbat Project Shabbos dinner. The Elmans hosted their dinner in a tent outside their home for about 100 people. Among those invited were Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb and several guests from The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, and NCSY. Emunah shared: “I think it is totally amazing how people were so appreciative and so accepting of Shabbos, even with losing the electricity moments before Shabbos. Somehow we just pulled it together. It didn’t matter what temperature the food was; everything just worked out. It was so nice. People were from all walks of life were just so happy to be together as a group on Shabbos and everyone worked together during the crisis.”

Tania Shichtman, a member of Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim told BaltimoreJewishLife.com, “I loved it! I love to be exposed to so many rabbis at the same time, because everyone has his own personality, his own shul, and his own way of thinking and teaching.”

I also caught up with Reb Simcha Retter after Havdalah, who mentioned, “It was very inspiring and beautiful to see so many people throughout the community coming together for this event.”

Debbie Kessler remarked, “It was a beautiful shalosh se’udos; it was a beautiful community event. Havdalah was gorgeous; amazing.” Debbie’s daughter, Esti Khaver, who was there with her husband, Meir, and three children, agreed.  “It was a beautiful event; I definitely felt a lot of unity coming to the end of Shabbos; I really enjoyed it.”

Rabbi Boruch Leff, who attended with his family, mentioned: “We always know, intellectually, that we are united, but this shalosh se’udos and Melava Malka made us see it in action. ‘Sheves achim gam yachad’ in real color is how we all experienced this.”

Musia Delman shared, “This was magnificent! I have no words to express the koach that I felt—the strength—of the Jewish people when we are together. This is such a tremendous koach that I am sure that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is, Kav'yachol, shedding some tears seeing us together. I am sure that if we continue this strength, we will see Moshiach coming soon.”

I went from one Havdalah concert to another—the community sponsored “One Day Havdalah Concert” held downtown at Rams Head Live. This culmination of the Baltimore Shabbat Project, was geared for those in their 20s and 30 who were either unaffiliated or did not identify Jewishly. It featured the world-renowned rap singer, Matisyahu, and over 1000 people attended.

While waiting to meet Matisyahu, in a Meet and Greet held in a second-floor VIP lounge, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jessie Goldberg, of Mt. Washington, about her Shabbos Project experience.

“We got our two daughters involved and really brought Shabbos to life in our house; we keep Shabbat. We also invited family—our parents, family that’s not necessarily Shomer Shabbat but wanted to be a part of it--so we had a very open-ended, welcoming atmosphere.”

Scott and Helayne Ference were also at the “One Day Havdalah Concert”. Helayne shared this about their Baltimore Shabbat Project experience: “I went to the Challah Bake which was unbelievable; it was beautiful, very well organized and a lot of fun…We went to shul, Friday night, and had an unbelievable tefilah and on Shabbos we heard Nossi Gross davening at Ner Tamid—it was great. We had some people at our house for meals that we ordinarily wouldn’t have had—people that we met, but just hadn’t had over yet. There were ten of us.”

Tzvi Urszuy was also at this concert and told BaltimoreJewishLife.com, “I attended a meal with JHeritage with Rabbi Ariel Fishman and 50 young professionals; I brought a friend and we had a good time. For Shabbos lunch, we went to Lev Shlomo. They had a huge tent for about 100 people—young couples and Lev Shlomo guys. The whole “Lev Shlomo family” showed up. My parents usually have people over every week; they had people come, too, for Friday night.”

Nisa Felps, the project manager of the Baltimore Shabbat Project-- who poured her heart and soul into this week-long event with her team of several volunteers to, once again, make the Baltimore Shabbat Project a success-- gave me this wrap-up (no pun intended!) quote at 2 a.m., following the concert:

“The team worked tirelessly to create a project that was inclusive of the entire Baltimore Jewish community.  From the family event, to the Challah Bake, into an incredible Shabbat, and to finish it off with a spectacular Havdalah concert-- we feel like we touched many different parts of the greater community, which was the goal.  We are so appreciative of all the volunteers that helped to make this happen!”

It was mind-boggling to me that Nisa was able to host 22 people--mostly Reform and Conservative Jews-- who came to her house for Shabbat Project lunch. Of course, behind every great woman there is a great man. Says Nisa, “My husband, Ryan, cooked everything; he only left me the rice to cook…My friend Lori, from Fairfax, Virginia, was one of our guests; she enjoyed Shabbos with the divrei Torah and wanted Shabbos to continue, so stayed for the concert. She was so happy to be a part of the Shabbat Project and be in those numbers. She is so inspired; she wants to bring the Shabbos Project to her town.”

If Lori does, she will be adding Fairfax, Virginia, to the list of 1006 cities located in 85 countries that currently participate in the International Shabbos Project--including: Vilnius, Lodz, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Düsseldorf, Addis Ababa, Antigua, Cancun, Cannes, Hong Kong, Nepal, Melbourne and Moscow. And, they will be joining an estimated 1 million Jews, worldwide, who are “Keeping it Together”, in their thirst for: “One People, One Heart, One Shabbos”.

For an Israel Orange photo essay on this beautiful event click here