OneTable Together is piloting a program to introduce residents ages 50+ in Atlanta, Palm Beach, FL. and Greater Denver, CO.
At its inception, OneTable found that the most disengaged Jewish people were in their 20s and 30s. They set out to solve the problem using a web-based platform. It allows hosts to choose how many people they can seat (from 4 to 40), what kind of event it will be (from casual to more traditional), what kind of food will be served (vegan, kosher, or meat) and in what style (potluck or fully catered).
Once the event has been created, participants sign up using the same system. In Atlanta, OneTable Together has hosted 10 dinners with 62 participants.
Nationally, OneTable has arranged nearly 140,000 Shabbat dinners with 1 million seats at the table. Last year, the website had 83,000 unique users.
Still, they wanted to expand. During the pandemic, OneTable stakeholders hired a consulting firm to answer the question: Who else could benefit from this model?
“What we found was that the 50+ demographic was struggling from the epidemic of loneliness,” said Susan Salzman, director of OneTable Together.
By the year 2030, it is anticipated that 24% of the Atlanta area residents will be age 60 and older according to the Area Agency on Aging.
“There are a lot of layers in the 50+ community,” Salzman said. “Empty nesters. Maybe somebody lost a loved one, divorce, a transplant. You have a lot of transplants in Atlanta. It’s people who have disconnected from the synagogue or institutional life the way they knew it.”
Salzman, who has worked with the senior community for 15 years, said she’s felt her own disconnection as her children have grown older and moved out.
“Personally, I wouldn’t say I lost my community, but I lost it as I knew it and it was lonely. Others are looking for a way to reintegrate into the Jewish community, and not necessarily by joining a synagogue,” Salzman said.
Salzman is based in Los Angeles, so it’s not surprising to hear that she recently attended a meditation Shabbat and her friend is planning a cooking class Shabbat dinner. There’s always a creative way to bring people together, she said.
OneTable Together supports Atlanta hosts by providing ritual guides and resources like a bottle of wine or gift card. The organization also donates back $10 per RSVP to the young adult program, “further supporting the young adults who we need, and who need this just as much as we do,” Salzman added.
On June 28, the Marcus Jewish Community Center and OneTable are organizing a dinner for seniors called “Shabbat Around Town” at Zafron in Sandy Springs. Make a reservation here.
