Shabbat at Limmud
Reflections from the Shabbos Queen, Andi Bengis
Every year, right near the very beginning of the Limmud planning process, I get a call. “Hello, Shabbos Queen! I hope you’re going to do Shabbat at Limmud this year…” And my answer is always the same: yes!
In my very busy life, I will always find a way to fit getting Limmud ready for Shabbat into my schedule, because Shabbat at Limmud is my very favourite Shabbat of the year. I have the privilege of feeling like I’m hosting a Shabbat dinner for more than 600 people, and there is truly nothing else quite like it.
Shabbat at Limmud begins as the sun starts to set. Hundreds of women, children, and families gather to light candles before heading off to their choice of minyan, talk, or simply soaking up the beautiful atmosphere and excitement of Friday evening. There is something magical about those first moments as Shabbat arrives and Limmud settles into its own special rhythm.
Then comes one of my favourite moments: when hundreds of people gather together in the dining hall and sing Shalom Aleichem. In that moment, surrounded by friends, family, old faces, and new ones, we know that this is where we belong.
Limmud feels like home.
After dinner, people spill out of the hall in every direction. Some head off to bed after a busy day. Others make their way to late-night talks, conversations, and singing niggunim (and drinking whisky and eating biltong) at the Tisch that continues well into the early hours of the morning.
One of the things I love most about Shabbat at Limmud is the way people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs come together and respectfully observe Shabbat in our shared spaces. I love sitting under a tree enjoying breakfast, meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends. I love the peaceful quiet of the morning and the way it is suddenly filled with energy as people emerge from services for kiddush.
Over a delicious lunch, conversations flow about what people have heard, learned, questioned, and discovered during the morning. Handbooks are opened, pages are folded, plans are made for the afternoon’s talks, panels, and activities, or perhaps just a well-earned nap.
As the sun begins to set, people gather together to sing, learn, share words of Torah, enjoy a seudah and a l’chaim, and prepare for what is a highlight of the weekend for so many. Together, we bring Shabbat to a close with a beautiful Havdalah that is uplifting and moving.
As I pack away my Shabbos boxes and finish cleaning up in preparation for the excitement of Saturday night at Limmud, I always take a quiet moment for myself. I sit and reflect on how incredibly fortunate I am to have played a small part in creating this experience.
Year after year, I am reminded that Shabbat at Limmud is about so much more than candles, meals, services, or programmes. It is about community. It is about connection. It is about belonging.
And I feel truly blessed to help make it a memorable experience for so many people.
I can’t wait to share it with you.