On August 15, Jeff Hajjar, owner of Fuzzy’s Pizza Katy, in partnership with Congregation Shma Koleinu, hosted Katy’s first ever public Shabbat service, held at the restaurant at 613 S. Mason Road in Katy.

Shabbat, or the Jewish Sabbath, is one of the most significant and sacred traditions in Judaism. Observed from Friday evening to Saturday night, Shabbat is a time of rest, reflection, and spiritual rejuvenation.

Attendance at the invitation-only event was capped at 72 “to keep it more intimate and cozy and family-oriented,” Hajjar said, adding that 72 is also a symbolic number in Judaism.

The service was led by Rabbi Scott Hausmann-Weiss of Congregation Shma Koleinu and included blessings, singing and connection in a casual, family-friendly setting.

Complimentary wine, grape juice, challah and light bites were served. Eighteen percent of the proceeds from the evening’s pizza sales benefited the Holocaust Museum Houston, with an additional ten per cent of proceeds going to Congregation Shma Koleinu. Congregation Shma Koleinu is a “synagogue without walls,” Rabbi Hausmann-Weiss said.