Happiness at annual Shabbat under the stars
Local Jews celebrated the sabbath outside as the sun set Aug. 2.
Chabad of Southern Delaware held its annual Shabbat Under the Stars dinner. The event is aimed at bringing all Jews together for an evening of community, song and prayer.
“We invite anyone, any Jew, no matter who [they] are or where [they] are from,” said Rabbi Shalom Vogel, who runs the local Chabad organization along with his wife, Chanale. “[If] you’re Jewish, you [can] come to celebrate Shabbat dinner with the community. The community is growing, and this is a great way to connect as a people.”
Vogel said they were expecting about 70 people at this year’s dinner, double the number from 2023.
Given the current unstable situation in Israel, he said he is not surprised about the turnout.
“I think people are looking to connect,” he said. “I think people are feeling isolated amongst others and, therefore, they really crave that camaraderie they have with other Jewish people and really get in touch with their heritage.”
Rabbi David Nesenhoff, who is a world-renowned inspirational speaker, was a special guest at the dinner.
He spoke about fighting anti-Semitism and finding happiness in challenging times.
“[Nesenhoff] spoke about the immense power of a good deed. A person can think, ‘What's the big deal about one small act?’ But when we realize the tremendous power in a mitzvah, or good deed, we will be more inclined to do just one more mitzvah beyond what we usually do,” Vogel said.
Nesenhoff gained attention for an interview he did with journalist Helen Thomas outside the White House in 2010, in which Thomas made anti-Semitic remarks. Those comments led to her firing.
