Sophie Rodney, Vice President of Jewish Content, prepares for a day full of Shabbat for 2,000 packaging!
This semester’s Shabbat for 2,000 has broken all previous records set by JHP at the University of Pennsylvania! Tonight, 2,247 students will be having 151 individual Shabbat dinners at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, JHP interns abroad will host dinners in 3 countries – London, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.
Each semester, we set out on a goal to reach 2,000 students, and this year is the first year we have surpassed that goal. Sophie Rodney, VP of Jewish Content attributes this success to beginning the outreach just a few days earlier than in the past. JHP interns are responsible for attending “office hours” during the days leading up to Shabbat for 2,000. With a Venti coffee in hand, they text all of their friends and invite them to host their own dinner, and with JHP at Penn having a core leadership of more than 80 students, our pioneer model of peer-to-peer networking has added to our success this semester! Rebecca Feldman, Penn Campus Manager says, “Shabbat for 2,000 has become a favorite tradition of so many Penn students, that they started asking us when we are going to have it, instead of us reaching out to them! It’s so great to see students hosting a dinner for 5 or 6 semesters in a row, and I am so grateful to assist in bringing this huge event to fruition.”
Students signed-up for dinners this year at a faster rate than ever before, surpassing the goal of 2,000 only days into the campaign. Some of the organizations at Penn hosting the most students in one place are Zeta Beta Tau, APES, Kappa Alpha Theta, Sigma Nu, Sigma Alpha Mu, Delta Delta Delta, and freshman in the Quad Lounge. Some new organization’s hosting this year are the Penn Heavyweight Rowing Team, the Women’s Squash Team, and the Men’s Soccer Team. This afternoon, the host or multiple hosts from each dinner will stop by the Penn Chabad house to pick up their Shabbat essentials like candles, challah, rotisserie chickens, kugel, cookies, and blessings! In an iconic blue IKEA bag, they will take it back to their Shabbat location and host the gathering for all of their closest friends.
Where will you be tonight for Shabbat?
