The Jewish Sabbath

Friday evening, the 7th day, is very meaningful to Jews. As darkness sets upon the world, it brings the close of a week of activity, a week of growth and an exhausting week of work. But as the sun goes down, a new day is being ushered in. This brings a day of rest, a day of tranquility and to Jews, the holy Shabbat. This is also a day of blessings upon families and their homes.

Friday evening Ophir, a professor who teaches Hebrew at the Jerusalem Center, took us and JC students to the synagogue he attends Friday evening, Saturday AM (for families) and Saturday afternoon. Ophir is a devout Jew but doesn't dress in the traditional black hat, prayer knots, and long jacket.

Photo: Rabbi and his son. He has 5 children and the youngest is 4 months. While we were standing outside the synagogue waiting for it to open, a siren sounded for one minute. Orphir explained that this occurs exactly 36 minutes before sundown to alert families they still have time to prepare for Shabbat. What a wonderful reminder to help everyone get ready for Shabbat or the Sabbath. Anyway, traditionally a candle is lit and all form of work stops. Traditionally, women have lit Shabbat candles but both men and women now participate in and enjoy this practice. Young children especially love to be present for this moment and parents teach their children about this candle-lighting ritual from a very early age.

The candle is lit not more than 18 minutes before sundown after which the woman waves her hands three times over the candle (to welcome in the Sabbath) then covers her eyes with her hands as she says: Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be a light to the nations . . . At this moment when the family is together, she may offer a silent or verbal prayer on behalf of her husband and her children.

Work related activities include the use of a cell phone, driving or riding in an automobile, cooking, the use of a camera or the use of a pen and note pad. In fact, when you attend synagogue you cannot have a pen showing in your shirt pocket and if you are carrying a cell phone, it must be turned to silent and put out of sight. Therefore, I won't be posting photos of the synagogue in this entry and mainly of Jewish people on the street. We have loved learning more about how meaningful Shabbat is to Jews and has helped us to better appreciate our own Sabbath. In Jerusalem, our Sabbath is Saturday and not Sunday.
Orthodox Jews don't think in terms of days of the week, but rather, by the number of each day.

In Jerusalem there are 1,500 orthodox Jewish synagogues and only 12 of those are not orthodox. Jews are not constrained to which synagogue they use for worship but rather, they pick one they feel comfortable attending and live in homes or apartments close to synagogue so they can walk to and from on Shabbat. Oshir brought two of his sons with him and at the end of the service, they read from one of their holy books and sang a song in Hebrew. It was so sweet to see them participate and I know Ophir must have felt so proud of their efforts. I believe their ages were 8 and 6.

Jewish families also enjoy going to the Western Wall Sabbath evening in the Old City to pray and read from their holy books. Afterwards, they often sing and dance. No photographs or cell phones are allowed Friday evenings at the Western Wall.

Photo: Names of people in need of prayers are placed on tiny pieces of paper in cracks of the wall. Each day these papers are removed and buried ceremoniously to pay respect for individuals.

There are Seven Shabbat Traditions: 1) According to Genesis, light was the first thing God created. Jews are taught that the first light that filled the world was a spiritual light: the light of the dawning of consciousness before the creation of the sun.

2) Blessings for children. Before Shabbat dinner, fathers give their children blessings by laying their hands on the head of the child and giving each a personal blessing. Blessings are prayers for the well-being of their children, their protection and growth. The Jewish fathers we see on the street, seem to take great pride in their families.

4) Breaking Bread. Challot are braided loaves traditionally served at Shabbat. Two loaves of this bread are blessed to commemorate the Jews who wandered in the desert after they were freed from Egypt.

Photo: For many years our family has enjoyed wecca bread, another type of braided bread.

5) Blessing and Song. The Shabbat is a day of blessings and a main blessing is recited after the meal. This blessing is not particular to the Sabbath but one that is recited every time one eats a meal with bread, the staple of their diet. This blessing expresses thanks for the land and for God's goodness.

Shabbat meals are made joyous by lots of singing. Traditionally, families sing Hebrew songs that are specific to the Sabbath. Singing creates a feeling of festivity and the home is the best place for it. (One of our meaningful family memories was when we sang as a family and performed musically for audiences.)

Photo: Jewish community. The white tanks on tops of the rooftops distinguish Jewish people live here. Black tanks distinguish Arab homes. 6) The meal: Shabbat.

On the Sabbath day there is also a midday festive meal. Kiddush, is recited Friday night. This a prayer recited before the drinking of wine and in Judaism, Kiddush is a central part of the every Shabbat, holiday, and other special life events.

After lunch, family members take an opportunity for a long nap. Saturday afternoon is also a good time for study, reading, or taking long walks which allows people to meditate and spend some time in solitude in the effort to cleanse their spirits. Families play games together but most importantly, Sabbath is a time to shut out the world, to focus on each other and to refresh emotionally and spiritually. 7) Havdalah

Havdalah brings the Sabbath to a close in the same way it began -- with light. For this ritual, they use braided candles instead of two separate candles. The braided candles symbolize the two separate flames becoming one through the unifying force of Shabbat. This ceremony includes blessings over wine, spices, light, and for the God who distinguishes between the sacred and the profane, between darkness and light.

Just today someone asked, "What are you learning?" My reply was, "What I post on my blog is what I am learning." As days get busier with more and more tours through the Jerusalem Center, I am finding my time is becoming more limited. Last week we were busy every single night with student activities and other commitments. Today we were in the office working until 8:30 PM in the effort to keep up with the work. Last Thursday we had 152 people tour through the JC and two weeks ago we had 220 LDS visitors to church. We are also preparing for our Summer Concert Series (14 concerts) and a new art display in the gallery so please check back and don't give up on me if I don't publish every day. I write this blog in the effort to help me remember what we are learning and teach others more about our experiences in this wonderful country. Truly, every day is a gift and every day we feel blessed to be here.