The food writer Anna Rahmanan observes a new trend among non-strictly-observant Jews in New York City, based on the traditional Sabbath evening meal.

These Friday night dinners aren’t organized by rabbis or Jewish nonprofits; rather, they’re hosted by Jewish chefs and restaurateurs themselves. In the aftermath of October 7 and amid a wave of Jewish longing for community, Shabbat dinners held at, and organized by, these restaurants are a new kind of Friday night experience. It’s a trend that’s similar to, but separate from, the sort of swanky, secular Shabbat dinner parties that are often hosted by influencers that have become a specific kind of New York City night out. Instead, these Shabbat gatherings resemble a more traditional restaurant visit that, at the same time, honors the day of rest.

Einat Admony, chef and owner of Balaboosta, has begun offering what she calls Kabbalat Shabbat dinners in the private dining room of her Greenwich Village restaurant. . . . Admony’s Shabbat dinners include candle blessings, but the chef and owner is quick to note that the point isn’t to make anyone more observant—it’s to remind them that Jewish identity can be joyful, inclusive, and shared.

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.