40 | APRIL 11 • 2024 
J
N

A

bby Wolfson of 
Oak Park has 
lots of guests for 
Shabbos. It’s how she grew 
up and a tradition she loves 
to continue, she says. Every 
Friday night her mom would 
host, for as long as she can 
remember, she explains. 
 “It was never just us. My 
house was never quiet for 
Shabbos dinner. I think that’s 
really important in terms of 
how I feel Shabbat is meant 
to be spent, really with other 
people.”
Whether she’s hosting or 
going to other people’s homes, 

it’s a time for connecting 
with community, she says, 
adding that she for more 
than a handful of years also 
partnered with her best 
friend, Corey Rosen, to 
co-host at her mom’s or his 
house. They welcomed single 
young professionals from the 
Woodward Avenue Shul, she 
says, inviting guests for multi-
course meals, games and a 
chance to discuss lessons from 
the weekly Torah portion, the 
parshah. 
“If you ask people who have 
come to my meals to tell them 
something that stood out,” 

she says, “there’s always fun 
conversation, and we always 
do try to be very inclusive.” 
Guests who come in 
small groups leave knowing 
everyone at the table, she 
says, adding that she enjoys 
bringing people together to 
make new friends. “I think 
everybody deserves to have 
a really positive experience 
around celebrating 
their Jewish 
traditions.” 
Wolfson often 
partners with 
nonprofit OneTable 
to support 
her endeavors 
financially, she says. 
And when it comes 
to cooking, it’s a 
labor of love. “You’ve just got 
to put in the time,” she says. 
She and Rosen, who she 
met at the Woodward Avenue 
Shul in 2017, have hosted 
back and forth between their 
neighborhoods ever since. 
 “It’s a lot of scurrying to get 
things ready in time,” she says, 
explaining the importance 
of choosing which lights will 
be on, setting the fridge and 
oven to Shabbos mode and 
making sure the hot water urn 

is filled. 
She invites guests who don’t 
drive on Shabbat to come over 
ahead, and once the Shabbat 
candles are lit, she says, “it’s 
the calm after the storm.” 
With Shabbat underway, 
they sit and play games while 
waiting for other guests to 
arrive, with whoever’s arrived 
early pitching in to finish 
cutting salads and 
helping set the table, 
too. The meal usually 
includes at least three 
salads, homemade 
dips, homemade 
challah, a fish course, 
and then chicken, 
tofu and sometimes a 
meat dish. 
“There are always 
at least two or three options 
in that regard, and I’m a big 
fan of baking and desserts,” 
she says, adding that the 
most common thing she’d 
have someone else bring is 
fruit. She also aims to make 
fresh challah, and Yerushalmi 
kugel, which she considers the 
perfect combination of black 
pepper and sweet.
Her table seats 12 
comfortably, but she’s never 
turned anyone away, she says, 

 A Full 
Shabbos Table

But there’s always room for
one more, says Abby Wolfson.

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY
CELEBRATING SHABBAT

LEFT: Abby Wolfson and Corey Rosen peparing lemon bars for a 
Shabbat dinner at Abby’s. BOTTOM: Shabbat dinner at Abby’s mom, 
Julie Wolf’s, house: Zvi Golumbik, Emily Hersch, Julianne Subia, 
Danielle Brickner, Lily Lerner, Brian Fata, Daniel Bucksbaum and Corey 
Rosen.

Abby Wolfson