“Remove futurity from experience and you leach meaning from it just as surely as if you cut out a man’s past. ‘Memory is the basis of individual personality.’ Miguel de Unamuno writes, ‘just as tradition is the basis of the collective personality of a people. We live in memory and by memory, and our spiritual life is at bottom simply the effort of our memory to persist, to transform itself into hope, the effort of our past to transform itself into our future.’” –Christian Wiman, My Bright Abyss

This is the first dinner in a series we'll be hosting in 2026 around topics we think are interesting and which deserve a sit-down meal and conversation with others.

We believe that gathering for meals, over intentional conversation, in community is one of our greatest forms of resistance to the things that make us less human. As Ronald Reagan said in his farewell speech in 1989: "All great change in America begins at the dinner table."

You don't need to prepare anything to attend these dinners, just show up ready to eat, to be served a meal, and to engage in conversation, with depth, with others. The conversations will be structured, but casual. 

For this first dinner we're going to focus our attention on the spiritual life, specifically: how it is that we live a spiritual life in community? and what is the role of belief? We'll think together and share some of the stories from our lives that emerge. Our hope is that over dinner each of us experiences something of depth, which helps us heal, grow, and make meaning of the events of our lives and the world at this particular moment. RSVP here.

LOGISTICS
Location: We'll gather at Urban Adamah in Berkeley. Urban Adamah is a Jewish Center and farm located in West Berkeley. The vibes there are rad: wander the rows of vegetables growing, pop your head into the yurt, let the kids run around outside. 

Time: 6:30pm
 
Kids: Kids are welcome. There will be plenty of space for the kids to move around. We'll also have some coloring activities for kids who don't want to or are not able to participate at the tables in conversation. Kids are also welcome to explore the garden, though for that they need adult supervision.

Food: Please note below if there are any dietary restrictions and we'll do our best to accommodate. All food and drinks will be provided for.

Cost: There is no cost to these dinners, but if you are able or wanting to contribute, please do! You can send money over by clicking here or just bring some cash to the dinner and we'll have something to collect any donations. 

RSVP Here!