3,000 Expected At Record-Breaking Shabbat Dinner In NYC

MIDTOWN, NY — Thousands of New Yorkers are expected to come together later this fall for a history-making Shabbat dinner — one aiming to set a Guinness World Record.

On Friday, Nov. 21, The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Centers, in partnership with UJA-Federation of New York, will host The BIG Shabbat at the North Javits Center, complete with challah, kiddush, a catered dinner and lots of simcha.

Organizers say 2,850 people are signed up to share the festive meal so far, which would mark the largest Shabbat dinner ever held.

For the uninitiated, Shabbat is a weekly day of rest in Jewish tradition that begins Friday at sundown with a festive dinner and ends Saturday night.

In 2014, a Shabbat dinner in Tel Aviv hosted 2,226 guests, setting the Guinness World Record for the largest ever held. Berlin topped that the following year with 2,322 people at the table.

Now, organizers say it’s New York’s turn to take the title, with an evening featuring a multi-course kosher menu created by acclaimed local Jewish chefs, including Beejhy Barhany of Harlem's Tsion Café, bestselling cookbook author Jake Cohen, James Beard Award-winner Joan Nathan, and cookbook author Adeena Sussman.

"At its heart, this event celebrates Shabbat, a tradition that has been central to Jewish life for thousands of years," Dr. Gady Levy, the executive director of the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Centers, told Patch.

"But The BIG Shabbat is more than just a world- record breaking event. It unites us across differences, inviting us not only to embrace the joy of Shabbat but also the deep sense of belonging it fosters within a vibrant, dynamic community, right here in the second-largest Jewish city in the world."

At the dinner, an official Guinness World Record judge will be there to verify that the number of people seated for Shabbat dinner exceeds 2,322.

Following dinner, a Shabbat Oneg, including live music and dessert, is planned, organizers said.

Event registration is open to the public now until Nov. 3, organizers said. The event still has space for 150 more people to sign up.

The Javits Center is located on 11th Avenue between 35th and 39th Streets in Manhattan.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.