There's no wine at Wendy's
February 20, 2018 5:30 AM   Subscribe

Wendy's Shabbat. The story of some eighty-something Jewish friends and their 97-year-old rabbi, who found an unorthodox way celebrating their Friday night meals. From the new film by Rachel Myers.
posted by Mchelly (17 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm like ... 95% sure Son of Baconator isn't kosher.

In all seriousness, though, this is really nice. My wife's great aunt is a bit younger than these folks, but she is also an old New York Jew who has been living in LA for a long time, and it would not surprise me even a little bit if she got involved in this kind of community if she ever retired and moved out to the desert (she participates in a weekly mahjongg game; this can't be far off).
posted by uncleozzy at 6:13 AM on February 20, 2018 [10 favorites]


What a beautiful expression of community! I love the guy who got the baconator because 1) bacon and 2) cheese on meat. SO totally not kosher!

But yes! I love this! When I was first coming out as a gay man I found there was this one hotel bar in town which was the unofficial gay watering hole (we didn't have gay bars where I grew up), and finding that space on a Friday night (interestingly the same night as Shabbat) was a godsend.

I'm so happy for this group! I hope I have something smiler in my silver years.
posted by hippybear at 6:13 AM on February 20, 2018 [6 favorites]


Oh this is delightful. Thank you for sharing.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:17 AM on February 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


Watching this makes me so happy.
posted by ocherdraco at 7:02 AM on February 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


This is wonderful!

There are so many of them, too. The way the video opened, it looked like there were perhaps 5 or 6 people who would get together with a rabbi. But there were at least a dozen? 14? It's so nice to see.

The Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) is the most important ritual observance in Judaism and the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It's considered by some to be the centerpiece of the religion. For Jews, observing the Sabbath isn't just supposed to be about stopping work and resting, but coming together in families and communities for meals, bonding and prayer.

Judaism is a small religion, compared to Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. What keeps us together are the qualities we share as a people, our spirituality, and the comforts of ritual, traditions and community. This was such a beautiful reminder of that. Thanks so much for posting, Mchelly.

--

The ad YouTube served me when I opened the link was "Meat Counter Basics: Rack of Pork" from the National Pork Board. Must be the Son of Baconator. :D
posted by zarq at 7:25 AM on February 20, 2018 [11 favorites]


One sad note:

Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin who is shown in the film's trailer passed away at the end of January. He was, as is noted in the film, 97 years old.

His legacy is incredible: "Zeldin founded Stephen Wise Temple on the eastern slope of the Sepulveda Pass in 1964 with a few dozen members. The temple eventually grew to 1,900 members, making it one of the largest Reform congregations in the country."

The Jerusalem Post notes: "As his lasting legacy, Zeldin left a thriving congregation and school system, now numbering some 4,800 members and students. The congregation is guided by five rabbis and two cantors." The Milken Community Schools are a private Jewish high school and middle school in Bel-Air. They're one of the largest Jewish day schools in the U.S., but they're pluralistic and non-denominational.

His wife Florence passed away in 2012. They had been married for 68 years.

May his memory be for a blessing to everyone whose lives he touched.

.
posted by zarq at 7:35 AM on February 20, 2018 [15 favorites]


That was lovely. Makes me want to see and witness many different types of traditions.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 7:58 AM on February 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


My grandparents used to live in the community shown in the first frame. They would have freaking loved this. Grandpa grew up going to cheder, but stopped keeping kashrut after he spent the first three weeks of service in WWII eating candy bars because they were the only kosher food. I wish they could have been involved. Grandma is 95 next week and living at the Jewish Home for the Aging here in L.A. I'll show her this next week.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:10 AM on February 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


This is beautiful and I love when communities form spontaneously like that.
posted by kimberussell at 9:21 AM on February 20, 2018


This was really sweet. I felt a bit sad for the couple at the beginning, that they were living in such an isolated situation that they had no one to be with on a Friday night, but it's wonderful that they were able to build a community like this.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:27 AM on February 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Wendys/McDonalds/Dennys - the 3rd spaces (not home, not fully public) of the present are weird. I'm surprised some tech company REIT hasn't dipped a toe into 3rd spaces yet. WePark/WeCommunityCenter. Probably a good thing.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:27 AM on February 20, 2018


"un-orthodox way of celebrating" I see what you did there.
posted by Megafly at 11:04 AM on February 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


I'm surprised some tech company REIT hasn't dipped a toe into 3rd spaces yet.

Here in my neighborhood in Chicago the major banks are doing it. Informal cafe spaces with occasional financial literacy talks sprinkled with whatever else the community is into. There are three of them within walking distance of me.
posted by srboisvert at 11:42 AM on February 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Isn't Palm Desert one giant 3rd Space for seniors...?
posted by PhineasGage at 11:46 AM on February 20, 2018


Isn't Palm Desert one giant 3rd Space for seniors...?

That and a gay mecca.

The gold lamé stretches for miles....
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 12:55 PM on February 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


That was lovely. Thanks for sharing.

And now I want a Frosty.
posted by 4ster at 7:58 PM on February 20, 2018


There's a great lesson in this for everyone.
posted by soakimbo at 9:31 PM on February 20, 2018


« Older Who kills Bambi?   |   Stop calling it seaweed. Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments