Rabbi Levi Shemtov has long said that the answer to antisemitism is “robust Semitism,” or proudly engaging in Jewish traditions. That’s why the founder of Chabad at George Washington University organizes and hosts Mega Shabbat every semester for the GW community.
At the most recent Mega Shabbat on Nov. 1, close to 500 attendees gathered in the University Student Center to eat, drink, hear from guest speakers, and dance well into the night. Ellen Granberg, the president of GW, was among the speakers who verbalized their support for the Jewish community.
This event marked the largest shabbat dinner at GW, a record Shemtov hopes to break with its next installation. Through Mega Shabbat, members of Chabad GW attempted to shine a Jewish light brighter than the antisemitism that Shemtov said permeated the campus during the 2023-’24 academic year.
The phrase “Glory to our martyrs” and other anti-Israel messages were projected onto the exterior of a campus building weeks after Oct. 7, 2023.
“The whole idea is to reinforce and invigorate Jewish life,” Shemtov said. “We have Shabbats every week that are packed — many weeks there’s just no more seats and no more room. And this is our answer; it’s not enough to just complain about the encampment,” he added, referring to the pro-Palestinian protests that took place in April
and May.
“Encampment is a negative thing. We have to show our positivity. Jews have to be more than the subject of scorn on campus,” he said. “We need to give them a point of strength and pride; we do that through our programs.”
He seeks to engage students in fun, lively programming that strengthens their Jewish identities because, to Shemtov, a weak Jewish identity makes young Jews more vulnerable to hatred.
“[The Mega Shabbat] sends a message to students that they do have a place to come together and come together publicly and come together in strength,” Shemtov said.
Attendees dined on a traditional Shabbat dinner consisting of salad, chicken and matzo ball soup, and challah.
Sabrina Soffer, a senior at GW and the president of Chabad GW, spoke at the event and helped with its outreach and planning.
“We always try to inspire students on campus to be proud of their Judaism and be proud of their heritage,” Soffer said. “And hosting the Shabbat with [nearly] 500 people really shows the strength of the Jewish community at GW.”
Soffer’s parents and uncle also attended Mega Shabbat to hear her discuss the parshah, or Torah portion, in front of the crowd. She talked about the symbolism behind Noah’s Ark and the storied tsunami.
“Noah, in the story, built an ark, prepared proactively and was able to rebuild all of humanity after the flood,” Soffer said. “Even amidst all the bad things that happened, there is a glimpse of good, and Noah and his preparation was a representation of that.”
She said she chose to share the story of Noah’s Ark to instill a sense of hope in GW’s Jewish community amid difficult times.
“After Oct. 7, we had a lot of antisemitism on campus,” Soffer recalled. “A lot of [Jewish] people were demoralized and felt afraid, but they should know that it’s better to prepare in advance mentally and physically by having community surround you.”
She wants to encourage fellow Jewish students to look on the bright side: “It’s not all bad things … and we should use that hope to propel ourselves forward and truly take action instead of sitting idly by waiting for other people to act.”
Rocky Zislin, the vice president of Chabad GW, said Mega Shabbat is one of her favorite events. She echoed the importance of community and fostering joy.
“I think a lot of times, we’re focused so much on staying strong in the face of all of this evil,” Zislin said. “It’s so important for us to [gather] to stay strong, but to do it just to bring us happiness, and to realize that we have all of these amazing, loving people around us that care for us no matter what.”
Soffer added that she and some other members of Chabad GW invited non-Jewish friends as well to experience Jewish tradition. She hopes her friends — many of whom she said are Christian — walked away from Mega Shabbat seeing “just how close and tight-knit we are.”
“We’re so alike with our values, and both of them are very supportive of Israel,” Soffer said of the Jewish and Christian religions. “When they pray, they also pray for Israel.”
Soffer said this event and last spring’s held additional meaning post-Oct. 7: a time during which Shemtov said some Jewish students at GW chose not to put up a mezuzah on their door frames, in fear of publicly displaying their Jewish identities.
“This is something more important,” Soffer said of Mega Shabbat. “Because bringing the Jewish community together after Oct. 7 sends a message that you have a community here; you shouldn’t be ashamed or scared. There’s people rallying behind you, so there’s an extra layer there.”
Shemtov received positive feedback on Mega Shabbat, including that the event was “empowering, so reaffirming, strengthening, bolstering, and important.” He said the event added an element of support to Jewish students who had felt afraid and threatened on campus.
“It really feels rewarding in many ways; it’s a symbol of strength, and also, it just feels like the right thing to do,” Soffer said.
