As the sun sets on Friday evening, more than one million Israelis, and countless Jews across 1,500 cities in 100 countries, will participate in the 2025 Shabbat Project, a global initiative that has grown from a single community effort in South Africa into what organizers describe as the world’s largest Jewish unity movement.
The thirteenth annual Shabbat Project, coinciding with Parashat Vayera on November 7-8, invites Jews from all backgrounds and levels of observance to celebrate Shabbat together under the theme “Shabbat is a Gift. Be Present”—a timely message in an age of digital overwhelm and global Jewish anxiety.
A Nation Rediscovers Its Heartbeat
This year’s emphasis on Israel reflects both the country’s central role in Jewish life and the collective trauma and resilience following the events of October 7, 2023. According to a new national survey commissioned by the Shabbat Project, an overwhelming 94% of Israelis view Shabbat as their key moment for family connection, while 89% see it as central to Israeli culture.
Perhaps most significantly, 72% of respondents identified Shabbat as a unifying force between Israeli and Diaspora Jews—a finding that takes on added meaning as Jewish communities worldwide grapple with rising antisemitism and geopolitical tensions.
“Shabbat is the heartbeat of our people, the Divine gift that has carried us through generations,” says South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who launched the Shabbat Project in 2013. “This year’s Shabbat Project is a call to Jewish pride and unity, to rally around Shabbat and declare to the world: Am Yisrael Chai!”
Israel: The Global Hub
Israel serves as the epicenter of this year’s observance, with programming designed to reach both secular and religious communities. More than 9,000 “Shabbat is a Gift” family kits are being distributed nationwide—beautifully designed boxes containing games and activities specifically created to help families disconnect from devices and reconnect with one another.
The initiative has achieved unprecedented reach through a partnership with Zehut, an educational organization that has engaged schools throughout Israel. More than 100,000 students are bringing home special Shabbat kits and learning materials, potentially enriching the Shabbat experience for over half a million Israelis.
Highlight events include a rooftop challah bake overlooking Jerusalem’s Western Wall (Kotel) and a massive open-air Kabbalat Shabbat service on Tel Aviv’s iconic Rothschild Boulevard, followed by a citywide Havdalah concert Saturday night. Mass challah bakes, family Shabbat meals, and gatherings at IDF bases are planned across the country.
A Digital Detox with Purpose
The “Switch off your screens. Switch on your life” campaign addresses a growing concern about technology’s impact on family life and spiritual practice. Participants are encouraged to place their phones in dedicated pouches from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday—a 25-hour digital sabbatical that organizers say creates space for authentic human connection.
The message has resonated across Israeli society, with celebrities, influencers, and notably, three former hostages—Ohad Ben-Ami, Raz Ben-Ami, and Elkana Bohbot—championing the campaign. Their participation adds profound weight to the initiative, as Rabbi Goldstein notes that many hostages held in Hamas captivity observed Shabbat “defiantly, tenderly, faithfully” even in the darkness of their imprisonment.
“In the chains of captivity, in the darkness of the Hamas dungeons, many hostages kept Shabbat,” Rabbi Goldstein said, “while our heroic soldiers on the front lines marked Shabbat under fire, welcoming in Shabbat with full hearts.”
North America and Beyond
The Shabbat Project’s reach extends far beyond Israel’s borders. In North America, a coalition of major Jewish organizations—including the Orthodox Union, Aish, Chabad, Olami, and NCSY—are hosting Shabbatons, communal dinners, and learning programs across hundreds of communities.
In New York’s Crown Heights neighborhood, 2,500 college students will gather for what organizers describe as one of the largest Jewish student events of the year—a mass Shabbaton that brings together young adults from diverse backgrounds and campuses.
A Global Tapestry
From Buenos Aires to Geneva, London to Sydney, and Casablanca to Dubai, Jewish communities are organizing local Shabbat Project events—challah bakes, family dinners, concerts, and public Havdalah ceremonies. Even Tahiti, participating for the first time, demonstrates the initiative’s expanding geographic reach.
The diverse participation reflects the Shabbat Project’s core philosophy: Shabbat observance as a unifying rather than divisive force within Jewish life. By emphasizing the experiential and communal aspects of Shabbat rather than strict religious requirements, the initiative has created space for Jews across the spectrum of observance to participate on their own terms.
From One Community to a Movement
Rabbi Goldstein first conceived the Shabbat Project in 2013 in his native South Africa, initially as a local initiative to strengthen Jewish identity and community cohesion. The idea resonated far beyond Johannesburg and Cape Town, rapidly spreading to Jewish communities worldwide.
Twelve years later, the movement has become a fixture on the Jewish calendar, demonstrating what organizers say is a deep hunger for meaningful connection, spiritual practice, and collective Jewish identity—particularly during a period of significant challenges facing Jewish communities globally.
As participants around the world light Shabbat candles Friday evening, organizers hope the shared observance will serve not only as a spiritual renewal but as a powerful statement of Jewish unity and continuity.
“This year’s Shabbat Project is dedicated to the heroes of our people and to the Divine gift of Shabbat that held us through it all,” Rabbi Goldstein said, paying tribute to the resilience of hostages and soldiers who maintained their connection to Shabbat even in the darkest circumstances.
For millions of Jews worldwide, this weekend offers an opportunity to experience that same gift—25 hours of rest, reflection, and reconnection in an increasingly fragmented world.
For more information about participating in the Shabbat Project, visit www.theshabbosproject.org.
