Ohad Ben Ami, Raz Ben Ami, Almog Meir Jan, and Elkana Bohbot - four survivors of captivity - have issued a heartfelt appeal to Diaspora Jewry to join this weekend’s global “Shabbat Project.”
The four described how observing Shabbat offered strength and hope amid the harshest conditions.
Ohad Ben Ami, held in captivity for 491 days, recounted how he and his fellow hostages sang Shabbat songs, made Kiddush over water, and used pita bread in place of challah.
His wife, Raz Ben Ami, who was held for 54 days, urged Jews around the world to turn off their screens this Shabbat and embrace the sanctity of the day.
Almog Meir Jan, who spent 246 days in captivity, and Elkana Bohbot, released just weeks ago after 738 days, also spoke of marking Shabbat in the most trying circumstances - praying, singing, and reciting Havdalah by flashlight.
The 2025 Shabbat Project, taking place on 7/8 November 2025 (Parshat Vayeira), will bring together Jews from all walks of life in more than 1,500 cities and 100 countries to celebrate Shabbat in a spirit of joy and unity.
According to organizers, in Israel, The Shabbat Project has become nothing short of a national movement, with more than a million Israelis expected to take part.
A new national survey commissioned by the Shabbat Project found that 94% of Israelis view Shabbat as their key moment for quality family connection, while 89% see it as central to the national culture. Three-quarters describe it as a gift and 72% see it a powerful unifying force between Israeli and diaspora Jews.
“There’s a spiritual revolution happening in Israel, an outpouring of people wanting a deeper connection to Shabbat,” says Shabbat Project founder, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, “and we’re feeling it on the ground with this year’s record participation in the Shabbat Project across the country.”
For South Africa's Chief Rabbi, this year’s Shabbat Project arrives at an historic moment.
“As we offer gratitude to God for the final release of all our hostages and for a fragile ceasefire that has emerged from the great victories Israel has achieved, this year’s Shabbat Project is dedicated to the heroes of our people and to the Divine gift of Shabbat that has held us through it all.”
Rabbi Goldstein pays particular tribute to the unwavering heroism of the Israeli hostages and the soldiers.
“In the chains of captivity, in the darkness of the Hamas dungeons, many hostages kept Shabbat - defiantly, tenderly, faithfully,” says Rabbi Goldstein, “while our heroic soldiers on the front lines marked Shabbat under fire, welcoming in Shabbat with full hearts.”
Fittingly then, Israel is the global hub of this year’s Shabbat Project.
There are events in parks, mass challah bakes, Shabbat meals for families whose loved ones are serving in the reserves, distribution of Shabbat kits to communities, and events and activities at IDF bases.
More than 9,000 “Shabbat is a Gift” family kits are being distributed nationwide - beautifully designed boxes containing family games that invite participants to “put your phones away and reconnect.”
Hundreds of schools and community groups are joining, with the national education system integrating Shabbat Project programming for the first time. More than 100,000 school students are bringing home special “Shabbat kits” and learning materials home to their families, enriching Shabbat tables and bringing the Shabbat experience to more than 500,000 people throughout the country.
Jamie Geller, Aish’s Chief Communications Officer, hosted the first-ever rooftop challah bake overlooking the Kotel, bringing women from across the country to Jerusalem to prepare for Shabbat together.
The Alef TLV Center will organize a mega open-air Kabbalat Shabbat on Rothschild Boulevard, featuring live singers and a city-wide outdoor Kiddush inviting passersby to join. The celebration will close with a Havdalah concert marking the end of an unforgettable Shabbat in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Media coverage across Israel - including articles in major national outlets and interviews on leading TV networks - is expanding exposure to Shabbat and bringing its message into tens of thousands of additional Israeli homes.
"The people of Israel are longing to reconnect with the most meaningful aspects of their lives," said Aharon Ackerman, director of the Shabbat Project Israel. "In a time of national hardship, Shabbat has become a moment of spiritual depth and a beacon of hope that connects us all."
North America: College campus involvement surges
Across North America, synagogues, schools, and student groups are joining forces like never before, with national organizations including the Orthodox Union (OU), Aish and Chabad promoting the Shabbat Project across their networks, and events including open Shabbat dinners and Shabbatons taking place throughout the country.
NCSY and JSU chapters - together reaching over 650 student networks - will host Shabbatons for public school students. Chabad on Campus is leading a four-part Shabbat curriculum on JewishU.org, while Meor Boston will host immersive Shabbat weekends for 500 college students.
In New York, Crown Heights will host a mass college Shabbaton with 2,500 attendees from universities around the world, culminating in the distribution of 700 copies of Rabbi Goldstein’s book, Shabbat: A Day to Create Yourself.
Community-wide challah bakes are being held in Queens, St. Louis, Savannah, and Toronto, while Denver and Jacksonville are planning full-scale Shabbatons with candle lighting, communal meals, Shabbat workshops, and musical Havdalahs. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host an “entry-level Shabbat” designed to introduce new participants to the experience.
Meanwhile, across schools like Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the Zucker Academy network of eight schools representing 550 families, students and parents will dedicate the weekend to Shabbat learning, hands-on challah bakes, Shabbat box kits, and a “switch off your screens” campaign.
College students will also unite for a special Olami Unity Shabbaton connecting students from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, while JewishEd will share a Shabbat Quiz with 900 English-speaking schools.
MyZuzah is marking the weekend by sharing Chief Rabbi Goldstein’s book, with 22,000 mezuzah recipients around the world - an invitation to engage with Shabbat learning.
In Los Angeles, Aish LA is partnering with a local synagogue to host newcomers for Shabbat meals and a musical Kabbalat Shabbat. For many, this will be their first-ever Shabbat experience.
Shabbat around the world: one people, one heart
The Shabbat Project’s global reach continues to grow.
In Argentina, a pre-Shabbat Project challah bake brought together 3,000 women and girls.
In Lima, Peru, the community will gather for a festive Friday evening dinner where each table will be named after a city in Israel, symbolizing unity and connection to the Land of Israel.
In Mexico City, a vibrant Youth Shabbaton will bring together young people for festive meals, interactive games, Shabbat songs, and engaging Shabbat study sessions.
In Bogotá, Colombia, the celebration includes a rich variety of events for all ages - including a Challah Bake where approximately 240 women and girls, from Bat Mitzvah students to grandmothers, will bake side by side, as well as unity Kabbalat Shabbat services and community-wide Friday night dinners.
In Geneva, all French-speaking communities will unite once again for a full Shabbaton in partnership with student associations from Paris, Lyon, and Geneva, featuring a communal challah bake, family dinners, student programs, and conferences with leading speakers, including Chief Rabbi of France Haim Korsia.
In Lausanne, the community will enjoy a complete Shabbat experience from Thursday to Saturday night, with a special focus on students and young professionals.
In Strasbourg, the hub of the French Shabbat Project, synagogues and the city’s many diverse Jewish organizations will unite for a full week of unity events - joint Sephardi and Ashkenazi services, youth programs, challah bakes, and family gatherings.
Meanwhile, in Melbourne, the community will gather for a Shabbat dinner exploring “Thriving in the Age of AI and Robotics.” Sydney will host a Havdalah concert featuring Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov, while London will welcome the Traveling Chassidim for a weekend of song, study, and inspiration.
Portugal is hosting its own large-scale event, while Brussels, Paris, and Lucerne will unite for pan-European Shabbatons organized by Olami.
In South Africa, special grants and other resources are being given to empower families to host Shabbat dinners for friends and neighbors, while those who sign up for a screen-free Shabbat will receive a bouquet of flowers and a special pouch to store their phones over Shabbat.
Casablanca and Marrakech in Morocco will be joining this year’s Shabbat Project, as will Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire), Dubai and Tahiti, a French-Polynesian island participating for the first time.
“Let us unite in cities across the globe,” says Rabbi Goldstein. “Let us gather in our homes and synagogues, in our streets and community centers. Let us join hands with family, friends, and neighbors, one people with one heart around Shabbat.”
Switch off to switch on
This year’s theme - “Shabbat is a Gift. Be Present.” - speaks to one of the great social challenges of our time.
Participants across the globe are being invited to “Switch off your screens. Switch on your life.” From sundown on Friday to nightfall on Saturday, millions of Jews will place their phones in dedicated pouches - choosing to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the people and experiences that truly matter.
“Every generation faces its own challenges,” explains Rabbi Goldstein. “Ours is the epidemic of distraction, a world that never stops calling for our attention. But with Shabbat, the Divine wisdom of the Torah anticipated this long ago.”
For 25 hours, he says, we are asked to switch off the devices that consume our attention, and switch on our lives.
“We rediscover the joy of face-to-face conversation, the warmth of family and community, the spiritual nourishment of a shared meal. We breathe in fresh air, notice the glow of candlelight, hear laughter around the table, and feel the peace that fills our souls when we allow ourselves to simply be.”
Celebrities and influencers across the Jewish world are championing the “switch off to switch on” campaign, including Jamie Geller, Jordana Drinkitin, Yechiel Jacobs and Michael Rappaport and others, as well as the hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Raz Ben Ami and Elkana Bohbot.
Sal Litvak, director-producer of the new film Guns & Moses, says, “Thank God for Shabbos. I disconnect from all the business and stress of Hollywood for 25 hours to focus on what’s really important: faith, family and more than a bit of fine food!”
Rabbi Goldstein describes placing a phone inside the pouch this Shabbat as “a small choice that makes a big difference.”
“It’s an act of reclaiming your life: the first step along the path to being present. And it’s the gateway to keeping Shabbat in all its meaning and beauty - to unwrapping the greatest gift of all: Shabbat.”