Chabad Shabbat

Updates about my adventures in Italy, my first week at my internship, and my recent explorations around London are coming soon! But while the memory is fresh in my head, I wanted to share my most recent abroad experience:

Tonight I did something a little different. My friend Allie on the BU program invited me to go to Shabbat dinner at a Chabad House in South Kensington. Since I felt too tired to go to any late night excursions around London, I decided a nice--and free!--dinner would be a good way to spend my Friday night.

Wearing a neat black dress, purple sweater, and my not-so-comfy flats, I made the 10 minute walk to the Shabbat dinner. I expected the event to take place at a more formal institution, but it turned out to be a family's house. Allie, Allie's friend Suzanne, and I arrived as a very small group of people were finishing up the evening service. British davening sounds a lot like the American sort, in case you're wondering.

They finished praying, and I introduced myself to the family--the Rabbi and his wife Sarah are so young, late twenties. They were very welcoming, and their two small children were adorable. There were two female British students from Imperial College, a nearby math and science university, as well as a French couple visiting England for the weekend. A couple more girls my age arrived for the dinner; they were Americans studying at Ithaca College's London program. We all helped set up the little dining room with folding tables and chairs, tableware, and kiddish items. The room was a bit cramped, but I was happy just to be celebrating Shabbat.

Just as we had finished the kiddish, there was a knock at the front door. Sarah answered it, and in walks fifteen Parisians. Apparently a Chabad program from France was taking a dozen French girls to London for the weekend, and they wanted to take part in the South Kensington Shabbat.

I looked around the already cramped dining room and thought there was no way we could fit these newcomers into the setting. Well, I was wrong! Everyone is welcome at Shabbat, so we spent ten minutes rearranging tables and place settings until all of us were not-so-comfortably squeezed into the room. Elbows were knocking, wine cups were falling over, and half eaten pieces of challah lost their original owners.

The Rabbi repeated the Kiddish for the French arrivals. Then it was finally time to eat! The night's theme was "Greek," and this concept was reflected in all the dishes. The first course was salad, challah rolls baked with olives, olive dips, and fish. The second course was moussaka, rice, and stuffed grape leaves. Dessert was fried dough and fruit salad. I couldn't believe how much food Sarah had prepared; by the end of the night I was stuffed!

As we began dinner, the Rabbi asked everyone to say their name, what brings them to London, and their Jewish thought for the week. It was so fascinating to hear from people who had journeyed from all parts of the world. The Parisian girls struggled with their English, some of them choosing to speak in French. My  Jewish thought reflected exactly how I felt at the moment; I said that I was missing Shabbat dinners with my family after being away for seven weeks, so I am very touched to find another Jewish "family" with whom to celebrate Shabbat while in this new country. The Rabbi gave a hearty l'chaim to my thought.

My favorite part of the night was singing Birkat Hamazon before dessert. Even though we were all from different cultures and countries, everyone knew the Hebrew song. We all belted out the words, hitting the table and swaying to the melody.

Allie and I left in the middle of dessert--it was already 10:15! We thanked the family for the wonderful night and hurried back to our dorm with full tummies. Whether I make it back for future Shabbat dinners at the Chabad house, it was definitely a great way to spend this Friday night. Shabbat Shalom everyone!