The Guinness World Record for the largest Shabbat dinner is 2,761 people.

BBYO just had 3,400.

We just wrapped up IC’s Friday night plenary, which included a movement-wide Shabbat dinner, a plethora of oneg options, and 12 Kabbalat Shabbat services, including: Meditative Shabbat, Latin Shabbat, Camp Shabbat, Combating Antisemitism Shabbat, A Tour Around Israel Shabbat, and so many more.

This year, I had the privilege of serving as a Friday Night Shabbat Admin, directing part of a nearly 100-person committee and taking a leading role in planning the Friday night shabbat experience. While I could go on and on about how incredible the night was, I want to go back to where it all started five months ago.

What started as ideas on a call slowly became a brainstorm. Then a document. Then a script. The primary roles of a Friday Night Shabbat Admin are scripting the shabbat dinner and supporting the committee — helping shape the flow of the evening, tightening transitions, refining language, and ensuring that what 3,400 teens would experience felt intentional from start to finish. Shabbat at IC isn’t just a dinner, or a service, or an oneg. It’s the culmination of months of hundreds of people’s hard work, all coming together in one single night. Every word matters, and every move has a purpose.

Over the months, the entire twelve-person admin team worked through drafts, revisions, and run-throughs to make sure the experience reflected the very best movement we’re part of. The goal was never just to “host Shabbat.” It was to create something that felt unified and special, while honoring the diversity of how Alephs and BBGs connect to their Judaism.

Now, fast-forward five months to last night. 

Three thousand, four hundred teens. Twelve services. One Shabbat dinner. All executed flawlessly (really! Not a thing went wrong). From floating between services to standing on the Main Stage in front of the entire movement, I got to see firsthand how the magic of IC Shabbat comes to life. It truly was magical, and indescribable—you have to be there to see it yourself.

From the late-night scripting calls to the team huddles during Advance Week, I want to give a special thanks to my fellow admins: Seth, Leo, Eden, Brianna, Sophi, Bree, Naf, Devin, Jenna, Noa, and Ido. It was an honor to build this alongside you. Another thank you to every single person on the Shabbat Committee who worked tirelessly to bring Friday night to life. 

What makes Friday night magic isn’t the diverse service options or the record-breaking Shabbat Dinner. It’s the people behind it.