Shabbat 1000 Draws More Than 1,000 Harvard Affiliates for Celebration

Shabbat 1000, Harvard’s largest annual Jewish celebration, brought over 1,000 affiliates together with Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 on Friday to observe Shabbat.

Observed each week from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown, Shabbat is a day of rest and reflection in the Jewish faith. Shabbat 1000 expands that tradition to a large communal gathering, aiming to bring together a thousand Jewish and non-Jewish affiliates for a traditional Shabbat dinner.

Harvard Hillel and Harvard Chabad have often co-organized the event in recent years, but Hillel did not sponsor the 2025 Shabbat 1000.

“It’s very exciting to me that Jews and non-Jews can come together in celebration of Shabbat, something that I love every week,” said Jacob H. Prager ’29, who attended the event.

“The 25 hours of Shabbat are my favorite 25 hours of the week, and for people who are both Jewish and non-Jewish, to experience a taste of that is something that brings me a lot of happiness,” he added.

The event programming included speeches from Garber, former Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, and Chabad president and founder Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi.

Garber, who is Jewish, spoke about the importance of religious institutions and Jewish values he learned early, such as being able to disagree with others.

“The commitment to debate and disagreement that is foundational in Judaism is also foundational in my own leadership of this University,” he said. “I hope that you will welcome debate and disagreement as we strive to strengthen Harvard.”

Zarchi took time in his speech to condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday.

“To watch a life taken publicly and brutally should shake everyone at their core, and resolve that we all do all we can to heal our fractured world,” Zarchi said.

Zarchi also praised Kirk for his vocal condemnation of anti-Israel conspiracy theories following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas.

“I was only introduced to his work after learning the way he courageously took on the shocking and hateful conspiratory voices against the Jewish people in Israel in the days following October 7,” Zarchi said.

“I am forever grateful to him and all those like him who use the power of reason and words when debating issues as opposed to dehumanizing others,” he added.

Seen as a staunch supporter of Israel, Kirk has also been accused of antisemitism due in part to comments in favor of a “replacement theory” conspiracy that accuses Jewish people of replacing white Americans.

Many students were surprised by the mention of Kirk, which came in the middle of Zarchi’s speech.

“I don’t think we were necessarily expecting him to bring it up. Me and one of my roommates turned to each other and stared at each other for a second,” Ben Ali H. Brown ’29, who attended the event, said.

The speeches concluded as the sun set, marking the official beginning of Shabbat. Elkie Zarchi, wife of the Chabad president, led attendees in prayer and candle lighting, followed by a buffet-style dinner.

“Shabbat is our anchor in life, providing the vision and priorities by which we set our lives,”

Hirschy Zarchi said. “We welcome the Shabbat by lighting candles in order to light not only our own candle, but to brighten the lives of others. It would not be an authentic Shabbat gathering if we did not speak from our hearts genuinely, honestly, and even with vulnerability.”

—Staff writer Sebastian B. Connolly can be reached at sebastian.connolly@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X at @SebastianC4784.

—Staff writer Julia A. Karabolli can be reached at julia.karabolli@thecrimson.com.