Beginning with dusk on Friday evening and continuing until a half-hour after sunset on Saturday, we have a day-long period in which to reacquaint ourselves with families and friends, inner thoughts, and prayers.
Most holidays throughout the world come every year, usually on the same date or the same day of a season, and are associated with an event or a person that affected a particular people or group. Among Jewish festivals, many are celebrated annually for these reasons, but our most important holiday, Shabbat, is celebrated weekly as a day of peace and rest.
Shabbat is not only the most frequent holiday but also considered the holiest and sanctified of Jewish days, more so than Yom Kippur. Through Shabbat, the Jewish people have always preserved the most edifying values of family life, study, and closeness to God. Beginning with dusk on Friday evening and continuing until a half-hour after sunset on Saturday, we have a day-long period in which to reacquaint ourselves with families and friends, inner thoughts, and prayers, so often overlooked in the rush of daily life.
Shabbat invites you to exercise your mind, heart, and soul through Jewish symbols, ceremonies, and concepts. We are encouraged to study for the sake of study, connect with our families (as we define them), and embrace the spiritual richness of Judaism.
Programs for Shabbat
- Use The Torah: A Women's Commentary to read the week's Torah portion. Guide your learning, discussion, or d'var with our study guides.
- Check out past WRJ Or Ami "Light of My People" Award-winning sisterhood programs, many of which provide new twists on celebrating Shabbat.
- Work with children in your congregation to make challah covers, spice boxes, or decorate candle holders.
- Host a cooking workshop, using recipes from the WRJ Sisterhood Cookbook Collection to teach members of your congregation to make their own challah.