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Category: Shabbat
All Flesh Is Grass: Shabbat Nachamu
Shabbat Nachamu reminds us to ask: how do we find comfort, and how do we comfort others? We can learn this from nature.
Rabbi Dr. J.B. Sacks
August 8, 2024
Holidays
Shabbat
Shabbat for Jewish Pets and Their Owners
Here are a few tips to celebrate Shabbat for Jewish pets and their owners and how to enhance your family's Shabbat experience.
Rabbi Alex Hamilton
June 19, 2024
Animals
Daily Living
A Whoop and Two Challahs: Doubling Our Loaves on Shabbat
A whoop and two challahs! Learn why doubling our loaves on Shabbat is important and how to observe this mitzvah.
Rabbi Adam J. Rosenbaum
April 5, 2024
Blessings
Erev Shabbat
Birkat Yeladim: Blessing Children
Read more on how to preform Birkat Yeladim, the blessing over our children, and where the blessing and practice come from.
Reena Bromberg Gaber
January 31, 2024
Blessings
Erev Shabbat
Why We Cover Challah at the Shabbat Table
Why we cover Challah at the Shabbat table can be found when we learn about manna and the seven species of Israel.
Hazzan Sara Geffen Geller
January 30, 2024
Erev Shabbat
Holidays
Confessions of a Fussy Kiddush Nosher
Though Kiddush in synagogue is a great for connecting with community, food options can be challenging and a limiting factor for picky eaters.
Rabbi Adam J. Rosenbaum
January 30, 2024
Food
Holidays
Shirat Hayam: They’re playing our song!
Shirat Hayam connects us to a collective memory and is the proof-text that enlarges, extends, and authenticates the meaning of the prayer.
Cantor Sharon Citrin Goldstein
January 25, 2024
Holidays
Parashat Beshalach
Why I Change the Melodies: Exploring Keva and Kavanah
By occasionally changing melodies, we draw from both Keva and Kavanah and invite ourselves into a deeper connection with our prayers.
Nichole Chorny, Cantorial Intern and Education & Youth Director at Congregation Anshei Israel
January 22, 2024
Holidays
Music
What Do People Think About While Praying?
While Judaism tells us various ways to pray, we are not told what to think: Here are three different takes on the subject.
Rabbi Alex Braver
September 7, 2023
Every Day
Personal Prayer
When Using Tribal Distinctions, How Might Women Be Called Up for Aliyot?
While writing a teshuvah on changing our language for aliyot to kohenet from bat kohen, Rabbi David J Fine, PhD, reflects on egalitarianism.
Rabbi David J Fine, PhD
April 30, 2023
Blessings
CJLS
What are the Special Sabbaths Before Purim and Passover?
A series of special Shabbatot with special Torah readings precede Purim and Passover.
Rabbi Alan Lucas
,
The Observant Life (Book)
February 5, 2023
Observing Purim
Passover
The Mystery of “Eyn Keloheinu”
What is the mystery of Eyn Keloheinu? How do we unravel the contradiction that seems to be present within this prayer?
Rabbi Mordecai Miller
January 4, 2023
Liturgy
Prayer
Shabbat Morning Services: What to Expect
We thank God, spend time in community, sing heartily, read holy texts, and revel in rest. What can I expect at a Shabbat morning service?
Rabbi Sydni Adler Rubinstein
June 16, 2022
Prayer
Prayer in Synagogue
What do I do on a long Shabbat Afternoon?
Long Shabbat afternoons can be intimidating, here's how Rabbi Sydni Rubinstein spends her time and why it's her favorite time all week.
Rabbi Sydni Adler Rubinstein
June 10, 2022
Observing Shabbat
Shabbat
Friday Night Kiddush: The Deeper Meaning
Rabbi Dina Shargel teaches that the Friday night Kiddush sets a mood to welcome Shabbat by connecting it to Creation and to the Exodus.
Rabbi Dina Shargel
June 7, 2022
Erev Shabbat
Shabbat
The Shabbat Prohibitions
Shabbat comes with specific limitations. These Shabbat prohibitions help us create a separation from the rest of the week.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
May 16, 2022
Observing Shabbat
Shabbat
The Shabbat Afternoon Service
The Minhah Service on Saturday Shabbat afternoon contains a number of significant additions to the weekday Afternoon Service.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
May 16, 2022
Prayer
Prayer in Synagogue
The Saturday Morning Shabbat Service
How is the Saturday morning Shabbat service constructed? What prayers are included? Check out our overview on Shabbat morning services.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
May 16, 2022
Shabbat
Shabbat Day
Friday Night Shabbat at Home
Friday night Shabbat at home includes blessings over children, the song Shalom Aleichem, kiddush, and the blessing over bread, the motzi.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
May 16, 2022
Erev Shabbat
Shabbat
Super Simple Guide: How to Do Havdalah
This is a super simple guide on how to do the ritual of Havdalah including the blessings in Hebrew, English, and Transliteration.
Exploring Judaism
May 13, 2022
Havdalah
Shabbat
Havdalah Solo: My (Slightly Awkward) Spiritual Self-Care
My Havdalah candle, wine, spices, and I did my own Havdalah ceremony all alone in my backyard. It was my own form of spiritual self-care.
Marion Haberman
April 27, 2022
Havdalah
Shabbat
Havdalah: An Overview
Havdalah, the concluding ceremony for Shabbat, serves as a dramatic reminder of the beauty and emotional power of Judaism.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
April 26, 2022
Havdalah
Shabbat
Friday Night Services at Synagogue: An Explainer
Friday night services on Shabbat include both Kabbalat Shabbat, a joyous recitation of psalms, and a Shabbat Maariv, the evening service.
Rabbi Michael Katz
,
The Observant Life (Book)
April 20, 2022
Erev Shabbat
Prayer
Shabbat Candles and the Beginning of Shabbat
Shabbat begins with the lighting of candles, in part, because they are symbolic of the spiritual light that Shabbat can bring into our lives.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
April 20, 2022
Erev Shabbat
Shabbat
The 3 Categories of Shabbat Preparation
There are three major categories of Shabbat preparation that must be attended to: physical setting, food preparation, and personal grooming.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Michael Katz
April 20, 2022
Erev Shabbat
Preparing for Shabbat
What is an Eiruv Tavshilin?
One is only permitted to cook on festivals to make food for the holiday itself, not for other days. There is an exception: eiruv tavshilin.
Rabbi Alan Lucas
,
The Observant Life (Book)
March 22, 2022
Holidays
Passover