The Shabbat Fairy
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
The Shabbat Fairy |
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Q: Can you briefly share the story of how Shabbat Fairy began ? A: Not long after October 7, we started to notice that all these volunteers would come from abroad, so passionate about volunteering and being involved and be busy volunteering all week, but when it would come to Friday night, a lot of them did not have a place to go. This is how The Shabbat Fairy came to be! Since March 2024, The Shabbat Fairy has been operational and we have been very excited and grateful for the countless incredible hosts that sign up week after week, welcoming all these volunteers for lovely Shabbat dinners. Q: What inspired you to start this initiative? A: Because some of us in the group know firsthand what it feels like to not have a place to go for a Friday night Shabbat dinner, we did not want any volunteers coming from abroad to experience that same feeling. Even if we cannot set up a match for a specific week, we will always send alternative options so no one has to be alone during Shabbat. Q: How have volunteers and supporters played a role in Shabbat Fairy so far? A: Our hosts for the Shabbat Fairy are truly the backbone of this entire operation. Without them, none of this would be possible to even run. The generosity and the kindness that so many hosts have shown is truly incredible and honestly hard to describe in words. Q: What has been particularly challenging — and has there been anything that has surprised you in a positive way ? A: Operating a Shabbat matching service during a war definitely comes with some challenges. Our hosts are local Israelis and during heightened times during the war, we have had to sometimes adapt. For example, the back and forth Israel had with Iran a few months ago definitely inspired new challenges for us. Even just a day or two later, hosts would sign up just in case no guests miss a Shabbat meal. Q: Looking ahead, what impact do you hope Shabbat Fairy will continue to make for Israelis and for the volunteer community? A: I hope that the Shabbat Fairy continues to do exactly what it was created for, to welcome volunteers from abroad for Shabbat dinner, and to provide an opportunity for local Israelis to open up their homes and their hearts to people from all over the world! Q: Anything else you’d like to share? A:The Shabbat Fairy is only possible because of all of our incredible volunteers and hosts that sign up week after week. If you are considering coming to Israel during this time to volunteer and lend a hand to the country, just know that you won’t be alone on Friday night!! HOSTS: https://forms.gle/nmoggVzrj7L5SZxi7 GUESTS: |
