Celebrating Shabbat at Home
We live in an age in which many Jewish adults feel incompetent to lead Jewish rituals on their own. Rather than turn Jewish experiences into events that can only be led by Jewish professionals, we want to empower Jewish parents and other adults to lead their families in meaningful and joyful Jewish rituals. Shabbat is the perfect time to do this. You can turn every Friday night into Shabbat in your home. Here are some steps:
First Step: Forget Everything
Forget everything that keeps you from making Shabbat. Forget all of your assumptions about what it would take to celebrate Shabbat with your family on a regular basis. Specifically,
✡ Forget about making a five course meal.
✡ Forget about sending your white linen tablecloth to the cleaners.
✡ Forget about worrying about rules of kashrut that you don’t usually observe.
✡ Forget about inviting your entire extended family.
✡ Forget about being embarrassed by your Hebrew reading skills.
It's not that these are bad things – it’s just that they shouldn’t stand in the way of the things that really matter on Shabbat.
So, what really matters?
You already know. It’s the important stuff that matters. When you focus on these things, you’ll want to make Shabbat part of your life every week:
✡ Spending time together as a family
✡ Finding a sense of peace and rest at the end of the week
✡ Expressing your love to the members of your family
✡ Connecting to Jewish tradition in a way that YOU find meaningful
✡ Giving your children positive Jewish experiences and memories
✡ Letting God into your life
Okay, So how do I do it?
Making Shabbat should be easy. It just requires a little planning and a little willingness to try some new things.
✡ Talk with the members of your family ahead of time about what you hope to get out of Shabbat and what you would like to do to celebrate Shabbat in your home.
✡ Find a pair of candlesticks and get some candles to put in them.
✡ Make sure you have some wine (for you) and some grape juice (for the kids).
✡ If you want, get a challah from the store. (If you’re really into it, bake your own).
✡ Prepare a meal that your family will all enjoy (Note: this may be pizza).
✡ When your family is all home on Friday night, sit at the table together.
✡ Sing some songs together.
✡ Light the candles and say the blessing in Hebrew or English.
✡ Bless each other, or just tell each other how much you love each other.
✡ Raise your cups and make kiddush.
✡ Thank God for your food. Eat!
First Step: Forget Everything
Forget everything that keeps you from making Shabbat. Forget all of your assumptions about what it would take to celebrate Shabbat with your family on a regular basis. Specifically,
✡ Forget about making a five course meal.
✡ Forget about sending your white linen tablecloth to the cleaners.
✡ Forget about worrying about rules of kashrut that you don’t usually observe.
✡ Forget about inviting your entire extended family.
✡ Forget about being embarrassed by your Hebrew reading skills.
It's not that these are bad things – it’s just that they shouldn’t stand in the way of the things that really matter on Shabbat.
So, what really matters?
You already know. It’s the important stuff that matters. When you focus on these things, you’ll want to make Shabbat part of your life every week:
✡ Spending time together as a family
✡ Finding a sense of peace and rest at the end of the week
✡ Expressing your love to the members of your family
✡ Connecting to Jewish tradition in a way that YOU find meaningful
✡ Giving your children positive Jewish experiences and memories
✡ Letting God into your life
Okay, So how do I do it?
Making Shabbat should be easy. It just requires a little planning and a little willingness to try some new things.
✡ Talk with the members of your family ahead of time about what you hope to get out of Shabbat and what you would like to do to celebrate Shabbat in your home.
✡ Find a pair of candlesticks and get some candles to put in them.
✡ Make sure you have some wine (for you) and some grape juice (for the kids).
✡ If you want, get a challah from the store. (If you’re really into it, bake your own).
✡ Prepare a meal that your family will all enjoy (Note: this may be pizza).
✡ When your family is all home on Friday night, sit at the table together.
✡ Sing some songs together.
✡ Light the candles and say the blessing in Hebrew or English.
✡ Bless each other, or just tell each other how much you love each other.
✡ Raise your cups and make kiddush.
✡ Thank God for your food. Eat!
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