“Guess Who’s Coming to Shabbas®” was created in 2012 by Debbie Albert of Temple Sinai in Dresher, PA, to honor her father Bernie Albert, z”l.  The initiative has two goals: to strengthen the synagogue community and to help families create meaningful memories for themselves and their children. 

The program is simple -- congregants are encouraged to invite others to their homes for Shabbas dinner and in subsequent months, those guests would host others, paying it forward.

The success of the program led to others adopting the model, and today congregations across North America are sharing in the delight of these informal gatherings.

After learning of the program and its success, FJMC offered to help spread the word, encouraging other congregations to put these Shabbas dinners on their list of priorities.  

FJMC endorses this program and encourages you to share Guess Who’s Coming to Shabbas® with your congregation, showing them how informal Jewish-focused gatherings outside the walls of a synagogue can be a wonderful way to engage members with one another, strengthening the fabric of their synagogue community.  Further, FJMC encourages our clubs to be proactive in their synagogues and offer to lead this program for the benefit of the congregation.

More details about the program and contact information can be found at the Guess Who's Coming to Shabbbas website.