Klein wanted to learn more about the science behind the ritual, a ritual she'd thought deeply about for years.

There is something that is a sacred act of breaking bread.

In the Jewish tradition, we say a blessing over the bread, really thinking about the role of the breath of life that was inspired when the seeds grew and how it cultivated and how we partner with God to bring this bread forth.

And whether people are thinking about the full intentionality of that prayer, or they're just saying actually breaking bread is a sacred act so much that we have blessings around it, there is an understanding piece is very powerful the table is an opportunity where everybody is equal all right when we're standing up we have tall people and short people and we have all different sizes but when we're at the table it's an equalizer a round table is even better because there's an opportunity to be able to kind of lean in and share that creates an elevated experience religiously The table is also the image of the altar.

When the temple was no longer the central place for sacrifice in Jewish community experience and practice, we're now on our own without the temple.

The table itself actually becomes that altar.

So there is a whole rich and sacred tradition about the table.

In the future, Klein hopes that the Shabbat Dinner Study allows organizations like One Table, a framework to offer the enrichment of Shabbat to more people, whether or not they identify as Jewish.