Some attendees of the inaugural Northern Virginia Shabbaton stayed up until 2:30 a.m. listening to YouTube’s most popular rabbi talk about the meaning of life.
More than 160 members of northern Virginia’s Jewish community heard from Rabbi Manis Friedman not through one of his videos but in person, because the event was electronics-free for Shabbat.
The weekend was all about connection, community and Jewish tradition, said Rabbi Sholom Deitsch of Chabad Lubavitch of Northern Virginia, who organized the Shabbaton alongside other local Chabad leaders.
“What we wanted was for [people] to understand that there was so much more, to expose them to what Shabbat really means — it’s so powerful,” Deitsch said. “We want them to go away with a more committed feeling to Judaism in general, which I think they got.”
Attendees stayed at a McLean hotel through the weekend for the festivities, kicking off the Shabbaton with a community Shabbat dinner.
“At the Friday night dinner, there was such a feeling of unity and Shabbat spirit,” said Hindy Lerman, Chabad Lubavitch of Northern Virginia’s program director who Deitsch said made a “Herculean effort” in coordinating the event. “Everyone was dancing and singing and really getting to know each other. It was really beautiful.”
She said that strong start on Friday night set the tone for the remainder of the weekend. After Shabbat dinner, Friedman, who lectures internationally, spoke on the philosophical and theological aspects of Judaism about topics including the meaning of life, intimacy in a marriage and parenting from a Jewish perspective.
Friedman’s lecture introduced the idea that a parent is “only as happy as their most unhappy child,” emphasizing the importance of having a positive attitude and raising a family from the ground up, Deitsch said.
“It went on and on,” Deitsch said. “He spoke Friday night after the Shabbat meal until 2:30 a.m. People were just hanging on to every word of what he was saying.”
Attendees also heard from local rabbis and rebbetzin who spoke on many topics: the weekly Torah portion and in-depth commentary related to the crossing of the sea.
The Shabbaton fell on a significant day in Orthodox Jewish history — the tenth day of the month of Shevat on the Hebrew calendar marks the day that the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, took on the leadership of Chabad in 1951.
“We focused on what he did with his mission when he started out, what his aim was for the Jewish people. The revolution of what Chabad is in the whole world started on that day with that mission statement,” Deitsch said. “So we analyzed a little about what that was about; that was very cool.”
In planning for this event, Deitsch said he and the local Chabad leaders wanted to focus on families with children: “We wanted everybody, but we specifically wanted to put an emphasis on children.”
The team brought in camp counselors and entertainers to interact with the kids while their parents attended lectures or a group meditation session. Kids saw a magic show and played games for prizes.
“It was like camp for a day and a half [with] a lot of programs and goodies for them,” Deitsch said. “There was a lot of attention placed [on] not only making sure they don’t disturb adults, but more than that, that they benefit and get enriched from this experience.”
The children also got to spend time with their families at the Shabbat table. Throughout the day and a half, there were no screens in sight.
“Usually kids are wired up with every kind of gadget; they had none of that,” Deitsch said.
Lerman said the children had so much fun with the entertainment that they weren’t even thinking about their electronics. Her father, Deitsch, received lots of positive feedback from parents saying that the weekend was the “best Shabbos they [have] ever experienced.”
The event was also beneficial to the adults in attendance who, despite a Jewish background, may not have the opportunity to embrace a traditional Shabbat, Deitsch said.
“[People are] used to always going to their phone or seeing what’s going on on the radio, the TV, the computer. Over here, they had the experience [of being] in a bubble,” Deitsch said. “You literally forgot about the world and you were able to focus on your family and your community, what you were learning and the spirit of Shabbat.
“This whole weekend was so special.”
Deitsch enjoyed seeing families connecting and interacting even if they were from opposite sides of town.
“All the Chabad centers of northern Virginia coming together, people realize they’re not alone, whether they’re in Loudoun County or in Alexandria or Springfield or Fairfax,” Deitsch said. “They realize that this is part of a greater community.”
Lerman added that the event didn’t feel segregated by Chabad chapter; rather the Shabbaton served as a unifying event. Lerman and Deitsch said they already plan to organize another Shabbaton next year.
“It’s really nice that all the Chabads got together,” Lerman said. “We don’t usually do that. Sometimes it feels like you’re in the middle of Virginia and there’s no other Jews, and all you have is your local Chabad. But when you get to this Shabbaton, [you realize] not only are there Jews all over, but we’re all part of Chabad and all part of something bigger.”
