Each month in our Lab/Letter, we share a Partnerhood Spotlight: a space to highlight the people, projects, and stories that make up our community. It’s a chance to recognize the many ways Lab/Shul-ers bring creativity, care, connection, and curiosity into the world.
This month, we’re honored to spotlight Liz Alpern, who reflects on her experience with Lab/Shul, and the sense of community she’s found within our monthly Sabbath Queen rituals.
…And speaking of Sabbath Queen: join us for our final Sabbath Queen at Judson Memorial Church – May 15th– before we move outdoors for a picnic-style Sabbath Queen on June 5th.
I vividly remember the first time I attended Sabbath Queen in 2016. I walked into the Mark Morris Dance Center and immediately ran into old friends I hadn’t seen in years. I was so busy chatting, I didn’t save myself a seat and ended up front row and center, next to the drummer. It wasn’t what I would’ve chosen, but it was definitely the right place for me to be. I sang my heart out that night, freed by the drumming so close by. After years of Shul-hopping, I’d finally found a community where the vibes and values aligned with mine.
I’ve been a loyal Lab/Shuler ever since.
A year or so before the pandemic, I was honored to join our inaugural Feast Team. The goal of this crew was to develop our ‘feasting’ culture as a community. With my background in food and hospitality as the co-founder of The Gefilteria (and now host of the Meet Me at the Deli podcast), I had a lot to contribute.
We started our monthly community feasts in person and then transitioned to weekly pre-Shabbat virtual happy hours during the pandemic. Today, I still help design the menu and order the food for our post Sabbath-Queen meals.
And perhaps the sweetest development of all for me at Lab/Shul is that I have a wonderful kiddo with my partner (and Lab/Shul’s Spiritual Leader), Shira Kline. Our daughter Livneh is now old enough to join us at Sabbath Queen. She absolutely loves it, and she is always met with so much love in return. Being the mom of a Lab/Shul kid isn’t what I envisioned when I first walked into Mark Morris that night, but just like the accident of sitting next to the drummer, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As we move out of Mother’s Day weekend, Liz’s reflections on community and raising a family within Lab/Shul’s warm embrace feels especially resonant. We’d like to take a moment to pause to honor the full spectrum of mothering — from the divine feminine that surrounds and sustains us, to the joyful celebrations of parenthood, and the often quiet, tender paths of loss, longing, and becoming. At Lab/Shul, we hold space for it all.
With love and reverence, we offer these gifts to help support and uplift in this moment:
