We're Getting More Chairs

This past Shabbat, something quietly wonderful (and only a little terrifying) happened. Our RSVPs tripled between Thursday morning and the moment Shabbat began.

We arranged for an extra folding table. Then another whole box of folding chairs. As people arrived, one by one, several leaned over and whispered the same question: Did everyone make it their New Year’s resolution to go to Shabbat in 2026? We leaned back and whispered, I think so.

As we went around the table—our familiar ritual of sharing what brought us here and what’s stirring in our lives—so many new faces spoke about the same longing. A desire to seek community. They were looking for a place to go, and somehow, they found us: their neighbors. Many had never heard of Tzibur before, but they settled in quickly, delighted to discover that this kind of gathering exists and that it’s close to home.

Seeing new faces is a gift. It reminds the usual suspects that there is fresh lifeblood moving through our community. And it lets those who are here for the first time feel what is so often hard to believe: that they are not alone in wanting this. There is something especially powerful about committing to community at the beginning of a new year, because—as we say around here—community is always the answer.

If you’re new here, we’re so glad you found your way. And if you’ve been around awhile, thank you for helping make space when the chairs keep coming out.