How to Make Shabbat More Meaningful

mommymommymommy | Feb 17, 2011 |

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At the end of the week, when Friday night arrives, you can make Shabbat more meaningful for your family and you. While Orthodox Jews reserve this day of rest by attending services and refraining from any kind of work or recreation, Reform Jews do not. By stopping what we normally do and reserving Friday nights for family and remembering the Sabbath day, we can bring more spirituality and closeness into our lives.

As families become busier and busier with activities that have nothing to do with each other, making Shabbat more meaningful is one way to bring the family closer together while doing rituals that are thousands of years old. On Friday night, I like to think of my fellow Jews around the world reciting the same blessings as I am. In a way, it binds us all together.

You can begin making Shabbat more meaningful by establishing some house rules. If your children are older, they may balk at first, but remain steadfast and remember that you are the parent. While we have always celebrated Shabbat in our home, when my older daughter started to have friends invite her to movies or out to dinner on Friday night, I held firm. She had to be home for dinner and be with the family. There was a brief period of grief, but she know that after dinner, if she chooses to, she can go out.

My younger children know that Friday night they can choose which family activity they want us all to do. Sometimes we play games, other times we watch a movie together, and when the weather is warmer, we will do something outside. For me, the purpose is to be together as a family no matter what the activity is.

In our home, Shabbat is made more meaningful by how we set the table. In my younger days, I took out my white tablecloth, placemats and linen napkins, my good china and fancy wine glasses to make our Shabbat dinner look and feel more special than the other nights . After all, Shabbat is a weekly holiday, and the good stuff comes out on holidays!

With the arrival of our twins, all of my breakable things went into hiding. While I now take out the wine glasses, the china has yet to make an appearance. I do, however, have a special Shabbat centerpiece on the table every Friday night. I also use pretty paper napkins from the party store to make the table look more festive.

On Shabbat, it is always meaningful to say the blessings. These rituals are reserved for Shabbat, and make this night different from the other six. After we have given Tzedakah (charity) and have blessed our children, we recite the blessings over the candles, the wine and the challah. Then we hug and kiss and eat!

Shabbat is also made more meaningful by having something special to eat. Besides the challah, the Sabbath bread, I make chicken. It is a traditional Shabbat food. Alongside the chicken I serve sweet potatoes for Shabbat sweetness, and a special fresh fruit or vegetable. I also try to make an special dessert to end our meal.

You can make Shabbat more meaningful by taking baby steps. Start with one ritual and slowly add the others. You will soon find yourself look forward to Friday for reasons other than you did in the past.