For Some Elderly Jews in Florida, Wendy's is the Place to Be on Shabbat

For most of the last decade, a group of God’s chosen Golden Oldies have gathered to celebrate the day of His rest at a Wendy’s in Palm Desert, Florida. The number of regular attendees is somewhere between 18 and 28, according to Rachel Myers, director of a new short documentary about the group, the appropriately titled Wendy’s Shabbat. Among the group is Myers’ grandmother, Roberta Mahler, who also happens to be the star of the movie (to complete the family affair, Myers’ mother, Abby Mahler, is the executive producer).

Myers, a director and production designer based in Los Angeles, first heard of the weekly ritual from her grandmother a few years back. “I just thought it was the most ridiculous thing,” she said. But she understood that for Jews of a certain age, the appeal of “social engagements without the clean-up and cooking and cost” is too much to pass up. To back her up, one of the movie’s more memorable characters, Lee Zeldin, 97, marvels at the affordability of the Wendy’s menu.

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