The blessings were led by the chefs themselves, with an emotional candle-lighting by Omri Miran, a former Hamas-held hostage, and his wife. Lishay.
By Aaron S., Jewish Breaking News
On Friday night, the world’s largest Shabbat dinner was held on the top floor of New York’s Javits Center and set a Guinness World Record.
Billed as “The Big Shabbat,” the event was conceived not just as a spectacle but rather as a statement that if Tel Aviv could once set the record and Berlin could break it in 2015 with 2,322 guests, then the world’s second largest Jewish city could “do better,” as organizers tell the Jewish Telegraph Agency.
Planning began more than a year ago with Temple Emanu-El’s Streicker Center assembling a team of 68 chefs, hundreds of volunteers, security planners, kosher supervisors, and Guinness officials in a coordinated attempt that required near perfect precision.
Guests then took their seats after watching an AI generated video featuring humorous Shabbat commentary from digital recreations of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, and Anne Frank.
The blessings were led by the chefs themselves, with an emotional candle-lighting by Omri Miran, a former Hamas-held hostage, and his wife. Lishay. From there, the long communal tables stretching across the convention hall floor came alive as volunteers delivered a multi course kosher meal built around vegetarian and dairy dishes including salmon fillets, miniature potato kugels, vegetable lasagna, salads, and enough baked goods to feed a neighborhood.
To qualify for the Guinness record, attendees were required to check in by 6:30 p.m. and remain seated during the formal count, a logistical feat in itself. At exactly 8:56 p.m. Guinness adjudicator Andrew Glass, a Brooklyn Jew who also partners with Acme Smoked Fish, stepped onto the stage and announced the number everyone had been waiting for, which was 2,761 verified seated participants.
Moments later the Jewish a cappella group Six13 took the stage with Queen’s “We Are the Champions” to celebrate the historic occasion.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!