Chabad of Chevron brought hundreds of bochurim from around Israel to coordinate the ‘Shabbos Chayei Sarah’ meals hosting over 6,000.
Shabbos Chayei Sara in Chevron is always a highlight and this year was no exception. An unprecedented 45,000 people spent Shabbos in the city.
Shluchim to Kiryat Arba and Chevron, Rabbis Yoni Attia, Danny Cohen, Mordechai Hellinger and Itzik Neimark, erected three huge tents where 6,200 people ate their seudos.
Hosting thousands of people presents great challenges but with careful coordination and planning, the shluchim pulled it off smoothly with the assistance of 160 bochurim who traveled to Chevron from various yeshivos around Eretz Yisroel.
Each bochur was assigned to lead one or two tables to ensure that the guests would not just benefit physically from the delicious Shabbos food, but also spiritually.
To achieve a seamless program, the bochurim followed a very specific schedule. At a set time, all held up signs with (previously printed) names of songs and niggunim, to announce what would now be sung. Thousands singing in unison was an incredibly inspiring experience! The guests had even received clips of the songs before Shabbos so they could learn them in advance, if necessary!
In between the singing and eating, the tents buzzed with chatter, hushing at a specific time to give the guests a chance to hear a dvar Torah from their table’s assigned leader.
Thanks to the dedicated work of the shluchim and bochurim, an uplifting experience was had by all.
Photos: Mendy Hechtman, Jewish Community of Chevron