Bensch on the beach
Sydney’s Our Big Kitchen is giving diners the opportunity to sink their toes into the sand and have a traditional Shabbat dinner on Tamarama Beach this summer.
Shabbat on Tamara
At sundown on Friday night, Jews and the wider community will welcome in the Sabbath from famed Tamarama Beach. Over 200 people will enjoy a 3-course kosher meal on the beach for the third year running.
Traditionally Shabbat dinners are in people’s homes, so this unique experience is one-of-a-kind in Australia. As the Shabbat is welcomed in, there will be a service, candle lighting and blessings over wine and home-made challahs (Jewish braided bread).
Our Big Kitchen has collaborated with Shabbat entrepreneur, Leah Greengarten to re-create a spiritual Friday night dinner. The Shabbat dinner will reflect age-old traditions with a new sense of spirituality surrounded by nature.
Leah Greengarten infuses her creativity into this original experience, while honouring ancient traditions. With the help of Our Big Kitchen, Leah is taking Friday nights to a new level for something that’s close to her heart.
“I feel privileged to recreate a classic Jewish Friday night into something incredibly spiritual, surrounded by a quintessentially Australian scene – the beach. I know this will encourage people from the Jewish and wider community to get involved and experience this amazing event together.
“For me, Shabbat is a time of togetherness and a time to reflect on the week that was and pay gratitude for it. As attendees experience the night, I hope they are inspired to create similar experiences,” Ms Greengarten said.
Our Big Kitchen Rabbi, Rabbi Slavin says it’s an age-old tradition for Jews to come together on Friday nights and we’re hoping to engage as many people as possible. The dream is one day to take over the whole beach and include all the community.
“It’s exciting to offer people a new way to experience Shabbat – especially as we’re the first Jewish organisation in the world to showcase our religion and traditions in this way.
“Judaism has such a rich history; we chose Tamarama Beach because it was easily accessible and we are able to build an eruv (ritual enclosure) around it to make it completely kosher.
“The Tamarama Beach Shabbat dinner is a great way to celebrate Friday nights and marks a fresh chapter for being Jewish in Australia,” Rabbi Slavin said.
The three course meal will be prepared by former master chef contestant, Kevin Perry.
Our Big Kitchen is a community run kitchen located in Bondi, Sydney. With support from volunteers, they prepare meals that are distributed to people in need from all walks of life.
The event will be held on the Friday February 12.
Ticket prices: from$21
