Dear Friends of Shabbat with Friends, I’m writing to share several important updates about Shabbat with Friends and my broader rabbinic work. This is a moment of creativity and renewal for me—and for our community—as I draw on decades of experience in new ways. A New Structure for My Work Beginning this April, after the festival of Pesah, I will be branching my work into two dedicated platforms: Shabbat with Friends  will focus exclusively on facilitating Shabbat gatherings and cultivating...

Six Stories from my Sabbath Table   Shared by Rabbi Dov Gartenberg   2025 End of Year Campaign in Support of Shabbat with Friends NM   A Sixth Story from My Sabbath Table   Wednesday, December 31, 2025   When I first arrived in Juneau, Alaska in 2011, I offered a Hebrew class at the small local synagogue, Sukkat Shalom. Twenty people signed up—almost all of them members of the shul, except for one. His name was  Richard Dauenhauer , and from the very first session it was clear he had a...

Six Stories from my Sabbath Table   Shared by Rabbi Dov Gartenberg   2025 End of Year Campaign in Support of Shabbat with Friends NM     A Fifth Story from my Sabbath Table.    Monday, December 29, 2025   *Lesser Known Usage: The rain roof of a Sukkah used in wet climates.   Rabbi Akiba Aiger (German 18 th  century) used to be very strict about the mitzvah of hospitality-(hachnasat orchim). Once on Shabbat one of the guests happened to spill a cup of wine. The clean white tablecloth...