A Jerusalemite who fell in love with having ‘Shabbat guests’ at his table each week has decided to branch out – and, together with dozens of host-families in his central-Jerusalem neighborhood, launched JewishMeals.org.
Barak Hullman told Arutz-7’s Ezra HaLevi how he came to undertake such an endeavor: “We started hosting guests for Shabbat about seven years ago. I wanted to donate some money to our synagogue, but I didn't have very much. Then, I had this idea that seemed crazy to me at the time. I made a pledge to have 100 guests at our Shabbat table over the next year. We'd never had guests at our Shabbat table before, so for us, this was a serious commitment. My wife and I were concerned how we would handle it, but then we realized it was just 2 guests every week for almost a year.”
Hullman, a father of three, says that he and his wife Noga now average 14 guests per Shabbat. “I love to cook and we started really enjoying making large meals and having lots of guests,” says Hullman, sporting a contagious smile. “Come Sunday I'm always thinking of Shabbat and which guests we can invite. Sometimes I go to an event and just invite everyone I see.”
“It's not always easy to find guests,” confides Hullman. “A lot of people host guests themselves or have friends they go to. I started thinking about where could I find more guests and realized there must be hundreds or even thousands of tourists or new immigrants here in Jerusalem that would love a warm place to go to for Shabbat meals.”
In order to reach potential guests, even before their arrival in Israel, Hullman decided to launch JewishMeals.org. “Not everyone knows whom to call or even wants to pick up the phone to call to find a place for meals on Shabbat,” says Hullman. “With our website, there's no fear factor, you just fill out the form and I write back to you ASAP.”
The Hullmans don’t plan on hosting all the guests that sign up each week on their own. They are part of a vibrant community in the midst of Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood. Nahlaot is one of Jerusalem’s oldest neighborhoods, tucked between the Mahane Yehuda Shuk [market] and Sachar Park, just below Israel’s High Court and the Knesset building. It is home to Jews from all walks of life and of every religious persuasion. “There are many people in this special neighborhood who want to fill their tables with guests,” says Hullman, “JewishMeals.org seeks to ensure that nobody has to spend Shabbat alone.”
There are no advertisements on JewishMeals.org as, according to Hullman, ”our only goal is to become the place on the Internet for people to find meals on Shabbat and Holidays.”
Although JewishMeals.org currently only offers Shabbat meals in Nahlaot, Hullman has big plans for the future. “We would eventually like the site to expand to every city where there are Jews in the world,” says Hullman, “so that a Jew anywhere on the planet could come to JewishMeals.org and find a place for a traditional Shabbat meal wherever he is!”
Barak Hullman told Arutz-7’s Ezra HaLevi how he came to undertake such an endeavor: “We started hosting guests for Shabbat about seven years ago. I wanted to donate some money to our synagogue, but I didn't have very much. Then, I had this idea that seemed crazy to me at the time. I made a pledge to have 100 guests at our Shabbat table over the next year. We'd never had guests at our Shabbat table before, so for us, this was a serious commitment. My wife and I were concerned how we would handle it, but then we realized it was just 2 guests every week for almost a year.”
Hullman, a father of three, says that he and his wife Noga now average 14 guests per Shabbat. “I love to cook and we started really enjoying making large meals and having lots of guests,” says Hullman, sporting a contagious smile. “Come Sunday I'm always thinking of Shabbat and which guests we can invite. Sometimes I go to an event and just invite everyone I see.”
“It's not always easy to find guests,” confides Hullman. “A lot of people host guests themselves or have friends they go to. I started thinking about where could I find more guests and realized there must be hundreds or even thousands of tourists or new immigrants here in Jerusalem that would love a warm place to go to for Shabbat meals.”
In order to reach potential guests, even before their arrival in Israel, Hullman decided to launch JewishMeals.org. “Not everyone knows whom to call or even wants to pick up the phone to call to find a place for meals on Shabbat,” says Hullman. “With our website, there's no fear factor, you just fill out the form and I write back to you ASAP.”
The Hullmans don’t plan on hosting all the guests that sign up each week on their own. They are part of a vibrant community in the midst of Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood. Nahlaot is one of Jerusalem’s oldest neighborhoods, tucked between the Mahane Yehuda Shuk [market] and Sachar Park, just below Israel’s High Court and the Knesset building. It is home to Jews from all walks of life and of every religious persuasion. “There are many people in this special neighborhood who want to fill their tables with guests,” says Hullman, “JewishMeals.org seeks to ensure that nobody has to spend Shabbat alone.”
There are no advertisements on JewishMeals.org as, according to Hullman, ”our only goal is to become the place on the Internet for people to find meals on Shabbat and Holidays.”
Although JewishMeals.org currently only offers Shabbat meals in Nahlaot, Hullman has big plans for the future. “We would eventually like the site to expand to every city where there are Jews in the world,” says Hullman, “so that a Jew anywhere on the planet could come to JewishMeals.org and find a place for a traditional Shabbat meal wherever he is!”