Southeastern Idaho Jewish community invited to communal Shabbat meal

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Roving Rabbis and Chabad Lubavitch of Idaho want to invite the Jewish community of Southeastern Idaho to their Shabbat dinner tomorrow.

Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and celebration. It begins on Friday night before sunset.

The celebration will begin late in the afternoon with candle lighting and prayers, then guests will feast on braided bread and various other delicacies to commemorate the celebration.

"Friday night, we're going to be having a Shabbat meal, which is pretty much on our Sabbath," Rabbi Yossi Bistritzky, one of the Roving Rabbis hosting the dinner, said. "We don't use any electricity, and we unplug from the world so that we can sit and spend time together with family and with friends. So we're welcoming any Jew in the area who would like to come and celebrate Shabbat with us."

Idaho has one of the lowest Jewish populations in the country, which is what inspired the group to visit Southeast Idaho.

"We try bringing everyone together, gathering, finding whoever we can so that every Jew knows and feels that they are seen and that they matter infinitely, and that they have a part of God within them, and to come together as a community," Rabbi Bistritzky said.

They would also like to extend their invitation to non-Jewish people as well,

"We're here to bring the Jewish community together. But if a non-Jew would like to come in and take part, they're welcome," Rabbi Bistritzky said. "You don't have to be Orthodox. You don't have to be religious. If you're Jewish, then you're a part of the of the community. You're more than welcome to join us, it's going to be food, singing words of inspiration, and really just bringing the community together."

To ensure the safety of all Shabbat dinner guests, the location and time of the dinner is not to be disclosed. If you are interested in taking part in this community celebration, please reach out to the www.rovingrabbis@jewishidaho.com to learn the location and time of the celebration.