Over 500 students gather at Mega Shabbat

On Friday night, over 500 students, faculty and alumni gathered at the Comfort Suites Hotel, where Rabbi Zalman Greenberg led a Shabbat prayer filled with laughter and song. Guests shared challah bread, sushi, home-cooked brisket and kosher desserts at long tables. 

Lehigh Chabad hosted its 14th annual Mega Shabbat — the largest to date — bringing together Jewish and non-Jewish students together to celebrate the end of the week as one community. The event was hosted and led by Zalman and Dit Greenberg, who have served as directors of Lehigh Chabad since 2008. 

Over their 18 years at Lehigh, the Greenbergs have built Chabad from the ground up, starting with just two students at their first Shabbat. 

“To see over 500 students come together for Shabbat is very powerful,” Zalman Greenberg said. “It speaks to something deep and lasting, and it shows that the Jewish community at Lehigh is very active and growing.” 

Zalman Greenberg also spoke about the importance of community, and said Jewish students have faced increased antisemitism on college campuses over the past three years. 

For the first time, President Joseph Helble attended the event. In his remarks, he expressed admiration for Mega Shabbat and affirmed his commitment to protecting Jewish students. 

Sara Goldin, ‘27, a member of Chabad’s executive board, said despite rising hate, the event creates a space for people to connect. 

“Mega Shabbat is different in the fact that it’s a big event that highlights how many (Jewish people) there are,” Goldin said. “It brings so much of Lehigh’s Jewish student body together in one room, especially people who don’t usually show up.”  

She said the event offered an opportunity to meet people from across campus.

While regular Shabbat dinners allow students to come and go freely, Mega Shabbat asks students to “host” tables. 

Dit Greenberg said hosts recruit at least 10 friends, help set up the event and serve food during the evening. She said interest in hosting reached a record high this year, with students continuing to volunteer as late as the Monday before the event.

“It was really beautiful,” Dit Greenberg said. “(The hosts) wanted to bring their friends. They were excited to bring their friends.”

This year, 40 students served as table hosts. 

Emma Rieber, ‘28, a Chabad executive board member and table host, said the role helped her feel more connected to the community. 

“I really liked hosting a table this year because I felt more a part of (Lehigh Chabad),” Rieber said. “Throughout the week leading up to the event, I helped (Greenberg) cook for over 500 people.”

Organizing Mega Shabbat requires hundreds of hours and complex logistics, the Greenbergs said, but the event is powered by student volunteers.

Throughout the week, students on the host committee and executive board helped cook, organize seating, prepare the venue and handle other tasks. 

The night also featured a community activity. Glow sticks were placed at each seat, and during Dit Greenberg’s remarks, she asked attendees to connect their glow sticks with their neighbors. When the lights were turned off, the room glowed with strands of color. 

“Everyone has their own small light, but when each person attaches to their neighbors and friends, it becomes a room full of light,” Zalman Greenberg said. “We all become connected and our actions become much more impactful.” 

Zalman Greenberg said his family has grown by opening their home and offering an inclusive environment. He said students are encouraged to bring friends, helping expand Chabad’s reach through word of mouth.

He also said while Chabad’s mission is centered on the Jewish community, it remains open to all students. 

“We have a lot to share, and a lot that people can learn from,” Zalman Greenberg said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”