Jeffrey Katzenberg Hosts 700-Person Shabbat Dinner at Burning Man
Image by David Katzenberg
By Thea Glassman September 14, 2016
If you thought Burning Man and Jewish tradition had nothing in common, think again.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, chairman of DreamWorks Animation, and his son David, just hosted a Shabbat dinner at the annual festival—with a cool 700 people making it on the guest list.
“Anyone and everyone is welcome,” Katzenberg told The Hollywood Reporter. “Everyone in our camp equally contributes their time, energy and resources to making the Shabbat dinner work.”
The father-son duo trekked out to Black Rock Desert, the dry lake where Burning Man is held, for the second year in a row, and stayed at Camp Merkabah (connoting early Jewish mysticism).
Katzenberg Senior got into the spirit of the week-long art festival by donning a quirky ensemble, including oversized goggles and a white bandanna.
The business mogul, who frequently contributes to Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League, told the Jewish Journal that Judaism gives him a strong sense of pride.
“[In Jewish life] there’s a connection to your roots and to Israel, a sense of belonging and a sense of obligation.” he said.
Count us in for your next Shabbat dinner, Katzenbergs!
Thea Glassman is a Multimedia Fellow at the Forward. Reach her at glassman@forward.com or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
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