12 | OCTOBER 12 • 2023 J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

T

his fall, Jewish families 
around Metro Detroit 
are getting excited 
about Shabbat with the 
help of Sharing Shabbat, a 
10-month program run by 
The J’s JFamily that connects 
community members for 
monthly Shabbat meals and 
mega-events. As part of the 
program, which is running 
for the second year, families 
are placed in four-to-five 
family cohorts, and over the 
course of the program’s cycle, 
each family hosts their group 
at their home for a meal. 
Families are given $75 
gift cards to help cover 
the cost of the meal and 
are also given a gift card 
to buy challah. They will 
additionally take part in 
larger group events such as 
a parents’ night out, challah 
bake, Jewish art workshop 
and Havdalah celebration 
during the year.
Abi Berlin of Huntington 
Woods has joined the current 
cohort of 35 families with 
her husband, Eric, and 
kids Talia, 2, and Jack, 14 
months old. The Berlin 
family lights candles and 

This JFamily program enables families to meet and 
celebrate Shabbat together throughout the year.
Sharing Shabbat 
 & Making Friends

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ovadia Tuman, 
Jonathan and 
Jamie Panzer 
light Hanukkah 
candles at 
the home of 
one of the 
families from 
their Sharing 
Shabbat cohort 
(December 
2022).

