Students Host Shabbat Around Grounds

There’s something special about sharing Shabbat dinner with family and friends. At UVA, students can participate in weekly Friday night services and dinner at the Brody Jewish Center, and, occasionally, in Shabbat Around Grounds (SHAG). SHAG is an annual event that encourages UVA students to host Shabbat dinners for their friends and fellow Wa-Jews. I like SHAG because it provides a more intimate setting. Of course it’s terrific that dozens of students come to Friday night dinners at Hillel, but sometimes it’s nice to have a smaller event to gather a few friends together around some good food.

This was the third year that my roommates and I hosted SHAG in our apartment – how time flies! I invited new and old friends from Hillel and classes. Hillel provided challah, chicken, and grape juice, and everyone brought a dish to share. We had kugel, green beans, potato waffles (like latkes, but in waffle form!), and lots of other delicious food. As always, I worried that there wouldn’t be enough food, and as always, there was more than enough (yay leftovers!). We lit the candles, blessed the wine, and ate. Everyone who came knew someone, but no one knew everyone, so we went around the circle and did some cheesy icebreakers. What’s your name? What good thing happened to you this week? Everyone met someone new and had a chance to reconnect with old friends.

In college, it can be easy to lose sight of Shabbat. We have books to read, papers to write, programs to code. But I’d like to suggest that the intensity of our schedules makes celebrating Shabbat even more important. Whether we mark the new week with a prayer, a nice dinner, or even a run, taking time to reflect and relax prepares us for the work ahead.

-Sarah Hainbach
Wa-Jew Class of 2015