Maxwell has always had a significant Jewish membership base, so when we heard Senator Cory Booker was keen to join us for Shabbat, we jumped at the opportunity.
Our house became the gathering place for Senator Booker's VIPs and friends alongside the Maxwell community. The kind of evening that proves the best traditions are the ones shared openly.
Guests included Bobby Okereke, linebacker and captain of the New York Giants, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The kind of eclectic mix that makes Maxwell dinners feel like curated conversations rather than formal events.
Senator Booker shared stories from his time at Stanford, where he served as president of Hillel despite not being Jewish himself. The kind of story that captures what leadership really means — showing up for communities beyond your own, building bridges through genuine connection.
The evening reached its heart when Senator Booker lit the Shabbat candles and broke challah with Maxwell's CEO David Litwak. Tradition meeting innovation, politics meeting community, all gathered around our table.
A dinner with a senator set the stage, but what unfolded was Shabbat the way it’s meant to be - open, inclusive, and filled with the kind of stories that remind us why we gather in the first place.
