Over 100 Rice students packed Farnsworth Pavilion on a festive Friday night for “Mega Shabbat,” welcomed by Rice President David Leebron to what was the largest Shabbat dinner ever on campus. Organized by Chabad at Rice, Mega Shabbat was a welcome way to meet friends old and new after many months spent distant due to pandemic conditions.
“There was something so special about sitting around a table with other grad students and being able to hang out and relax with good food,” said Jordin Metz, a chemistry graduate student. “It has been a while since I’ve been able to do that, especially with other Jewish grad students.”
A “Matzo Ball Mixer” featuring a photo booth and props greeted students at the beginning of the night, followed by a lavish home-cooked meal and dessert buffet with homemade mocha cake, brownies and cookies. Shabbat candles were lit and blessings were said, and between courses students chatted long into the evening.
“I walked away with a sense of community,” said Wiess College sophomore Ava Fradlin. “It was the first event I’ve been to with so many Jews all in one space, and events like this help Jewish students feel a sense of community.”
The event was particularly meaningful for Rabbi Shmuli Slonim, who serves as co-director of Chabad at Rice along with his wife, Nechama. The two host weekly Shabbat dinners at the Chabad house, for which Nechama also cooks marvelous meals, though the space in Farnsworth Pavilion allowed for something much more massive than usual.
“Although the tradition of a ‘Mega Shabbat’ dinner has now become a staple in Chabads across the nation, it is especially close to my heart,” Slonim said. “In 1994, my parents, who run Chabad at Binghamton University, initiated such a tradition by creating the first ‘Mega Shabbat,’ dubbed ‘Shabbat 1000’. It feels truly remarkable for me and Nechama to facilitate our own event of this nature.”