Ava Spielman Built ShabbUES Around the Table

The first ShabbUWS dinner sold out within 24 hours of launching, with a waitlist bigger than the table. It is the newest table from ShabbUES, a Shabbat community whose dinners in neighbors’ homes on Manhattan’s Upper East Side fill up week after week. For Jewish young adults without an obvious way into community, a neighbor’s table is an easy place to start.

Ava Spielman is the founder of ShabbUES, a grassroots network that creates low-barrier entry points into the Jewish community for New York City young adults in their 20s and 30s. She is a social worker by profession and a member of the Entreprenista League. Her background in social work shapes how she thinks about community.

“People need places where they feel seen and welcome. They need relationships. They need someone to notice when they haven’t shown up,” Ava says.

Shabbat in a neighbor’s home

ShabbUES brings people together through intimate Shabbat dinners, neighborhood events, active WhatsApp group chats, and activities designed to foster meaningful connections. It is built for young adults who may not have a natural entry point into traditional Jewish institutions.

“We bring community directly to them from the comfort of neighbors’ homes, local venues, social spaces, and shared experiences across Manhattan,” Ava says.

She wants ShabbUES to be the kind of place “where you can walk in without knowing anyone, actually talk to the person next to you, make a new friend, and leave feeling more connected to your community.” The home makes that possible. “We invite guests into a neighbor’s home!” she says. “This makes our events much more intimate and intentional than larger-capacity organizations.”

Social work and the Shabbat table

Ava’s career in social work has centered on people and systems, including work with people experiencing homelessness and those facing significant barriers to stability. “My professional life and my community-building life may look different on the surface, but I see a common thread,” she says.

"People need spaces where they are not reduced to a category," she says, and that philosophy is part of what she brings to every ShabbUES event.

Her motto is short: “Everyone has a story,” she says. “I love getting to connect with new people and learn what makes them, them.” That outlook helps her connect with newcomers and make every guest feel necessary to the evening.

More hosts, bigger venues, and a new neighborhood

“The funny thing is that even as ShabbUES grows, the original problem remains,” Ava says. “There is still not enough space in small NYC apartments to fit everyone.”

With waitlists bigger than the tables week after week, the search for more hosts continues. The demand has also inspired more weekday events in larger venues without capacity limits, and ShabbUWS brings the same Upper East Side magic to a neighbor’s home on the Upper West Side, starting with a launch dinner in October 2026.

Friendships that continue beyond the dinner table

The impact of the model reaches past any single event. “Our intimate Shabbat gatherings have already helped foster friendships, relationships, and connections that continue well beyond the dinner table,” Ava says.

She has heard of countless new friendships started at ShabbUES events. “As I hear from more and more participants about the meaningful relationships fostered at our events, I know this is just the beginning of what this community can accomplish,” she says.

Bringing the table to more cities

Ava wants ShabbUES to be known for creating meaningful experiences, uniting young Jewish professionals, and making a difference in the community at large. Next, she hopes to bring these intimate, intentional experiences to cities across the country.

Building ShabbUES has taught her patience. “It takes time to build up brand recognition, and that’s okay,” she says.

Her advice for anyone weighing a first step is shorter still. “Take the leap! The best is yet to come.”

You can connect with Ava on LinkedIn, follow ShabbUES on Instagram and Facebook, and find upcoming ShabbUES and ShabbUWS dinners, the WhatsApp community, and hosting details on the ShabbUES Linktree.

If you are ready to see what is possible inside the Entreprenista League, sign up here for a free info session.