Category: Shabbat

Birkat Yeladim: Blessing Children

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.
Why We Cover Challah at the Shabbat Table

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.
Confessions of a Fussy Kiddush Nosher

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.
Shirat Hayam - They're playing our song!

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. 
Why I Change the Melodies: Exploring Keva and Kavanah

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.
What Do People Think About While Praying?

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.

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.
Special Shabbats leading up to Purim and Passover

What are the Special Sabbaths Before Purim and Passover?

A series of special Shabbatot with special Torah readings precede Purim and Passover.
The Mystery of “Eyn Keloheinu”

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?
Shabbat Morning Services: What to Expect

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?
What do I do on a long Shabbat Afternoon?

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.
Friday Night Kiddush: The Deeper Meaning

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.
Image of a do-not-enter sign with the words The Shabbat Prohibitions

The Shabbat Prohibitions

Shabbat comes with specific limitations. These Shabbat prohibitions help us create a separation from the rest of the week.
darkened image of a sunset with the words The Shabbat Afternoon Service

The Shabbat Afternoon Service

The Minhah Service on Saturday Shabbat afternoon contains a number of significant additions to the weekday Afternoon Service.
Image of a Torah scroll with the words The Saturday Morning Shabbat Service

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.
Blurry image of candlesticks, challah, and a kiddush cup with the words: Friday Night Shabbat at Home

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.
Blurry image of a havdalah set with a hand reflecting off of the candle with the words: Super Simple Guide: How to do Havdalah

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.
blurry image of a backyard at night with the words Havdalah Solo: My (Slightly Awkward) Spiritual Self-Care

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.
Blurry image of havdalah set with the words: Havdalah: An Overview

Havdalah: An Overview

Havdalah, the concluding ceremony for Shabbat, serves as a dramatic reminder of the beauty and emotional power of Judaism.
sunset image with the words: Friday Night Services at Synagogue: An Explainer

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.
blurry image of shabbat candle sticks and the words: Shabbat Candles and the Beginning of Shabbat

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.
blurry image of a shabbat table with the words: The 3 Categories of Shabbat Preparation

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.
image of bread roll for eiruv tavshilin

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.