Who’s coming for Shabbat?

Every Shabbat is different, and every Shabbat is a surprise. First the number of guests: many of them email/call in advance, but Mendel also brings “unexpected” visitors from the synagogue. I write “unexpected” with “”, because I do expect them, in fact, and I usually have more plates set on the table just in case. They are the expected unexpected guests…

The origin of the guests, the purpose of their visit, their job, their personality… everything is a surprise. A round at our Shabbat table is as good as going around the world: we have visitors from the five continents, from the States, Israel, France, Australia, Canada but also from more unusual places such as Ireland, Sweden, Chile, Panama, South Africa, India, Ukraine... We’ve even had visitors from Nepal and Malaysia, from Egypt and Iraq… from everywhere, I tell you!!!

All types of people come together to share the Shabbat meal: young backpackers just off school, honeymoon couples, families on vacation, but also people on business trips, participants to various congresses…

Still, these people from different origins, from different backgrounds, finding themselves in Greece in various circumstances, all join to celebrate the Shabbat together, regardless of the differences: All eat together, all sing together, all laugh together and the strong sense of community we feel is very heartwarming…

Anywhere in the world, on Friday evening, you can join a community (and chabad, of course) and find the flickering candles of Shabbat, the sweet wine for Kiddush, the heavenly scent of the Challa bread…  The food may vary from gefilte fish and kugel to more spicy dishes, but the holy essence of Shabbat is universal.

So indeed, every Shabbat is different, every Shabbat, we host different people but in a sense, each Shabbat is the same: an inspiring experience of unity and brotherhood…