SWF Musical Shabbat Gathering, Bernalillo

Shabbat with Friends (SWF) gatherings embody the Jewish tradition of making the Sabbath a delight, in Hebrew, ‘Oneg Shabbat’. Held in homes and special venues in Santa Fe and ABQ, Shabbat with Friends gatherings are held on the Jewish Sabbath (from Friday evening to Saturday nightfall). At our gatherings we...

• share a Shabbat potluck of food delights.
• preserve the beautiful table traditions surrounding the Sabbath meal.
• sing together, converse with each other, learn something new.
• bring diverse people together in joy and fellowship and foster a sense of community.
• share the Sabbath with our friends from other faiths and cultures.

These gathering features our Oneg Shabbos Ensemble, talented musicians and vocalists who share beautiful Jewish music. They inspire participatory group singing also known as Shabbat table singing, an age-old Jewish tradition.  This SWF Musical gathering will take place in her community room at her apartment complex in Bernalillo. SWF gatherings are free, open to the community, child-friendly, and include all ages and backgrounds. Every SWF gathering is welcoming, satiating, joyful, and spiritually fulfilling. Please pre-register prior to the deadline by Thursday, August 1st.

About our Host. 

Our host for this gathering is Suzanne Savage. We like to share with our community a little about our hosts. This is what Suzy shared with us. 

While studying to become a Jew, I found a poem called to To Take The First Step. It spoke to me in such a profound way that I chose to read it aloud when I was called to the bimah for the first time. When people ask me “Why did I want to be a Jew,” this summed it up :

To Take the first step-

To sing a new song-

Is to close one’s eyes

And dive

Into unknown waters.

For a moment knowing nothing

risking it all-

But then to discover

The waters are friendly

The ground is firm.

And the song-

the song rises again.

Out of my mouth

come words lifting the wind.

And I hear

for the first

the song

That has been in my heart

silent

unknown

even to me.

-Ruth H. Sohn

This is my first time hosting a Shabbat meal and gathering. Please come and share Shabbat with me, meet new faces, and enjoy a lovely meal filled with song. 

Suzy Savage.