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| "If one has any sense of Jewish culture, Friday nights can be very lonely." |
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| "Thank you," the woman said, touching Shabbat Salon Program Director Sharon Goldman on the arm as they stood near a table where wine was being served following a Friday Shabbat Salon at the 92nd Street Y. Sharon was not surprised that a stranger was addressing her—the evening's speaker, Lawrence Kushner, author of of Kabbalah: A Love Story, had created an instant sense of community through storytelling and spiritual questioning, and the room was buzzing. What surprised Sharon was that the woman's eyes were filling with tears. |
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| "Thank you for what?" Sharon asked. |
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| "I grew up in Israel, on a kibbutz," the woman explained. "It was very secular, but every Friday night we had a gathering where we would celebrate Shabbat in a non-religious way. I moved to the States for my husband a number of years ago, and I've always missed this. So thank you. This reminds me of my childhood." |
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| Started in 2005 as an experimental program to reach out to secular Jews or non-Jews interested in celebrating Shabbat in a non-religious context, the monthly program now serves approximately 400 people in the course of a year, and thanks to support of the Y donors, the 92nd Street Y is able to keep ticket prices affordable. "People are clamoring to connect with other people," says Martin Maskowitz, Director of 92nd Street Y Board Program Services. "If one has any sense of Jewish culture, Friday nights can be a very lonely night." |
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