Shabbat

By Emmett Baldwin (12th grade)

Being Jewish, one tradition that I celebrate is Shabbat. Every Friday night my family and I gather to welcome in the weekend. We start by lighting the candles, typically right before sunset, to signify the beginning of this day of rest. We all recite a blessing and then embrace and enjoy the rest of the week, and we take a moment to reflect on the past week. Afterward, we say the Kiddush over a cup of wine or grape juice, before we begin to eat. 

In my family on Shabbat we usually have a mix of salad or cooked vegetables combined with chicken or salmon as the main part of the meal. We also usually have dessert afterward and spend time as a family by watching a movie, or playing board games. Shabbat is also a great time for us to invite people over and catch up with family and friends. I think that it is so important as a family to speed time and reconnect and it is great that our traditions help us to do so. 

One of my favorite parts is the challah bread. We say a blessing over it and then share it as part of our meal. It’s a time for us to slow down and disconnect from the chaos of daily life—no phones or work, just quality family time. After dinner, we might chat, play board games, or just relax. This weekly tradition helps me stay grounded and connected to my Jewish roots.

The story behind Shabbat comes from the Torah, also called the old testament, in which God rested on the seventh day of creation. Judaism preaches that Shabbat is made for people to rest, recuperate and reset after a long week. Also in the modern day Shabbat presents an opportunity for me to unplug from the rest of the electronic world and just spend time with what matters to me the most, my family.