Infused Shabbat dinners are bringing New Yorkers…
They’re praising and blazing.
A toking tribe of ganja-loving Jewish New Yorkers is lighting a match under the standard Shabbat celebration — holding enjoyable and 420-friendly “infused” dinners where the brisket isn’t the only factor that’s smokin’.
Lighting up back in 2024 and celebrating a dozen or so chilled-out gatherings since, the semi-regular social event welcomes Jews and Gentiles alike for a multi-course, faith-based dinner while having fun with a large choice of weed-related choices — because “Jews who love cannabis deserve a community, too,” according to organizer Danit Sibovits.
A critical attorney by day and a not-so-serious comic and influencer on her off hours, Sibovits, 42, told The Post that when it comes to spirituality, a little THC can undoubtedly take you greater — an thought she’s long needed to share with others, and which led her to create the Infused Shabbat Dinner.
Danit Sibovits hosted her first-ever Infused Shabbat Dinner in November 2024. Kim Max for the NY Post)
“I have so many repeat people, but I also have so many people who’ve come by themselves, made friends and now go every single time,” Sibovits told The Post. “Cannabis makes you more relaxed, so many people come alone and leave with friends.”
Held at Harlem sports activities bar The Fox, the concept for the doob and dinner event was sparked shortly after the tragic occasions of Oct. 7, 2023 — not just a tough time for the Jewish neighborhood, but for Sibovitz personally.
“Everything changed for Jews in New York after October 7 — we lost everything standing up for Israel,” she recalled of the politically-charged aftermath of the Hamas bloodbath.
“I lost almost all my ‘friends’ in comedy, all my opportunities. We felt so alone and scared, afraid to say who we are … so I felt called to create a community for us. Something less restrictive, more inclusive and more intentional,” she told The Post.
Danit Sibovits (L), Sammy Levy, who makes the infused challah loaves, influencer Brooklyn Barwick, and Rabbi Brian H. Denker (R) having fun with an Infused Shabbat this past Friday. Kim Max for the NY Post)
“That first one definitely had a more somber vibe,” Sibovits recalled of the first gathering. “But it was also upbeat, because everybody needed to come together.
And come together they do, paying as a lot as $190 for the dinners — noshing on grilled salmon fritters and truffle fries in between samplings of seltzers, gummies and pre-rolled joints, which vary in strength from 5 milligrams to 1.5 grams and are supplied by event sponsors like Wynk, Sigma, Hamsa and Curaleaf.
Sibovits caps her visitor checklist for each event at around 50. Kim Max for the NY Post)
Sibovits estimates that around 10 to 15 p.c of her visitors don’t partake at all, merely coming for “friends and vibes” — though reeferphobes will need to keep away from the challah, which has 5mg of THC per serving.
An avid fan and follower of Mary Jane since she was virtually in Mary Janes, Sibovits said she and her faculty buddies would secretly eat “whatever weed you could get from your friend who sold it.”
In 2021, shortly after former NYC governor Andrew Cuomo legalized weed under the state’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), Sibovits conceptualized “The HotBox,” a “stoner comedy show” held at the leisure venue Room 52 — where NYC comedians would gentle up on stage while sharing personal tales.
Levy posing with the infused challah loaf she made for the dinner. Kim Max for the NY Post)
There’s no denying that, since its legalization in the Big Apple, hashish use has gotten a bit out of control, with New Yorkers lighting up on virtually every road nook. Considering it’s the most generally used drug in the U.S., 19% of Americans get high at least once a 12 months, according to the CDC, with that share most seemingly greater in states where weed is legal.
While gatherings such as this one are distinctive and enjoyable, it’s important to be aware that habitually smoking marijuana takes a toll on the physique, irritating the lungs, damaging blood vessels and accelerating coronary heart charge.
And not to point out that chronic use may cause a decline in the mind’s capacity to retain and course of data, according to a 2025 University of Colorado research.
Although I’m one of the few New Yorkers who doesn’t smoke, I used to be curious about the idea of a meal and social event where lighting up wasn’t just allowed, but inspired. So I threw on a silky, burgundy Zara halter top — in an effort to meet the night’s gown code of “linen, silk, draped silhouettes” — and hopped on the uptown D practice last Friday.
Puff the magic dialog starter
When I confirmed up at the restaurant around 6:30 pm, which was superbly adorned in earth tones and varied floral decor in line with the dinner’s “Spring Fever” theme, I entered a space where my fears of being an outsider melted away virtually immediately.
Post reporter Allison Lax was a bit nervous to attend an Infused Shabbat Dinner as a non-Jew and non-smoker, but shortly felt at ease after seeing how inviting it was. Kim Max for the NY Post)
Attendees at last Friday’s dinner had been seated at long, wood tables lining the venue’s outer edges — dotted by aesthetically pleasing place settings (full with hashish swag, like glitter freckles and gummy packets, from varied event sponsors) and accented with flickering candles.
A large portion of the evening’s 50+ visitors made the space their own before the meal even started, with some sitting at the bar having fun with cocktails, while others mingled with associates outdated and new.
This past Infused Shabbat Dinner hashish menu included Hamsa gummies and infused seltzers. Kim Max for the NY Post)
Curious as to how the venue will get around strict metropolis and state legal guidelines that prohibit smoking indoors under the Smoke Free Air Act (SFFA) and Clean Indoor Air Act (CIIA), I raised my considerations to Joshua S. Bauchner, a hashish law attorney who’s also a accomplice of The Fox.
Curaleaf supplied Star of David-wrapped J’s. Kim Max for the NY Post)
“We’re hoping that with it being a religious and community-oriented event, especially with what’s going on in the world today, it will be respected without interference,” Bauchner told The Post.
As for the event itself, the visitors — who Sibovits later told me ranged in age from 20s to 50s, and usually discover the event for the first time through flyers she posts around Manhattan, or her personal Instagram — appeared to be having a grand ol’ time, complimenting one another’s flower crowns (supplied by Sibovits) and swapping Curaleaf Star-of-David-wrapped J’s.
A blessing on your blunt
Following the open bar glad hour, Sibovits shortly thanked her sponsors and visitors before introducing Rabbi Brian H. Denker, who said a few phrases and prayers.
Infused Shabbat Dinner visitors get pleasure from buffet food post-blazing. Kim Max for the NY Post)
These included Hamotzi and the Kiddush — the blessings over the bread and wine, respectively. He also led the lighting of the candles — a ritual carried out on Friday night before sundown to usher in Shabbat, which ends Saturday evening — particularly, when at least three stars seem in the sky.
Infused Shabbat Dinner visitors took half in the Shabbat ritual of lighting candles close to the start of the night. Kim Max for the NY Post)
“Especially being in New York these days, it’s a difficult time to be Jewish,” Rabbi Denker told The Post, this having been his second Infused Shabbat Dinner. “What Danit’s doing is creating a unique space — finding a commonality that binds people together.”
Once the food and libations had been flowing, I had the chance to chat with some of the other dinner visitors, most of whom had been imbibing themselves and had grouped themselves among outdated and new associates alike (no stuffy assigned seating right here).
Josh Senger, a Tribeca-based textile employee, has attended seven Infused Shabbat Dinners. Kim Max for the NY Post)
“I really enjoy the community that has been built at Infused Shabbat,” Josh Senger, a Jewish, Tribeca-based textile employee, told The Post, having been to seven of the dinners to date. “Sharing the experience of an infused meal seems to enhance the connections we make.”
“I feel like a lot of Jewish (activities) revolve around religion, but we’re not just a religion — we’re an ethnic group, we’re a community,” added Hannah Castillo, a Latina-Jewish software program project supervisor based in Astoria who has attended 5 of these dinners.
“So I love that this exists outside as a cultural thing, but we still do our Shabbat candles…This has given me friends and a safe space, which is by far the most important thing.”
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