AT A GLANCE:
Shabbat Tent was born at Phish’s New Year’s Millennium Show on Big Cyprus Indian Reservation, FL. Jews and non-Jews from all walks of life participated. Shabbat Tent’s profile was raised when MATISYAHU hosted a Shabbat Tent at Bonnaroo, and subsequently at other Festivals when he plays. The Shabbat Tent team has worked with Langerado, Wakrasua, Bonnaro, Gathering and Phish organizers.

The Shabbat Tent and fiscal sponsors JConnect, a registered 501c(3), seek to provide the large number of Jews who attend this music and camping festival an opportunity to celebrate Shabbat in whatever capacity they find meaningful.
• Shabbat Tent is a service, a place for people to share food, song, prayer and good vibes as part of the general festival experience.
• Shabbat Tent is not a place for preaching of religion or missionary work.
• Shabbat Tent is always open to anyone, without regard for religion, ethnicity, or background, who wish to spend time in the tent.

Shabbat Tent was recently covered in the LA Jewish Journal.

THE WHOLE SHABBAT TENT STORY:

Phish

The Shabbat Tent Team started unofficially during the hours connecting 1999 and 2000. The rock band Phish was celebrating the coming of a new millennium at the Big Cyprus Indian Reservation in South Florida by playing for more than 12 hours over the span of two days. A small team consisting of Adam Weinberg, Joshua Vogelstein, and Rav Shmuel set up a small camping area to provide concert goers Shabbat services (including an amazing Kabbalat service sung while fireworks and disco-parties blared from nearby camp sites) Kiddush, Challah, and lively all-night discussions.  Jews from all walks of life attended the services and engaged each other in issues of Judaism, music, spirituality, and social responsibility.  There was little promotion, no funding, and lots of turn out – the seeds for providing Shabbat at mega-festivals were planted.

During the next few summers, the team replicated the Shabbat Tent resource at more than a dozen Phish concerts and summer music festivals. However, without the direct assistance from camping directors, festival promoters, and funding, the Shabbat Tent functioned on a small scale reaching only a small percentage of attending Jews.

Matisyahu

The major change in the operation of the Shabbat Tent Team occurred the weekend of March 9-11, 2007.  Famed reggae singer Matisyahu contacted team member Adam Weinberg to organize a large scale Shabbat Tent at the South Florida music and camping festival Langerado.  With the support of a headlining artist, the team was able to work closely with the festival camping director and promoters in setting up a 1600 sqft space in the middle of the campgrounds ready to cater to everyone and anyone’s Shabbat and spiritual needs.  The Shabbat Tent fed more than 300 people throughout the weekend, ran services catering to any Jew who chose to show up, and provided a comfortable and open space for hundreds more to relax, form social networks with other festival-goers, and share in a taste of Shabbat among the noise of a large music festival.

The members of the team rotate from festival to festival, but the simple goal is to provide as many concert-goers with the ritual, peace, and inspiration Shabbat has to offer with services, meals, parties, and lively classes on spirituality, Judaism, and social responsibility, the Team is bringing the uniquely Jewish day-of-rest to campers festival-wide.