How to Celebrate Shabbat

• Shabbat traditionally includes three meals: a Friday night dinner, a Saturday lunch, and a lighter Saturday dinner.
• Start Shabbat by lighting 2 candles on the dinner table just before sunset on Friday.
• Shabbat is a day for resting. Celebrate by doing whatever feels relaxing and fun.

Hosting a Traditional Shabbat Meal

Go food shopping. There are three meals traditionally served on Shabbat: a full Friday night dinner, a full Saturday afternoon lunch, and a comparatively lighter Saturday evening dinner (Seudat Shilisit in Hebrew; literally "the third meal"). If you are having guests for one or all of the meals, shop and prepare even earlier, or have them bring a dish or two to ease the workload.

Bathe yourself and clean your house. It is considered a praiseworthy mitzvah (good deed) to prepare your home for Shabbat. In addition to cleaning, this means using your best dishes, using your best linens, and wearing your best clothes. Traditionally, meals held in celebration of Shabbat should be fit for a queen.

Start Shabbat with the first blessing. Typically, there are two candles lit on the dinner table just before sunset on Friday to mark the start of Shabbat. These candles represent observing and remembering the Shabbat. To properly start Shabbat, you need to: Light the candles and cover or close your eyes. Recite the candle lighting blessing, which can be found at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/shabbat-customs

Pour, bless and drink the wine. The blessing of the kosher wine, or grape juice, is called Kiddoush. The wine is a symbol of joy and relaxation. To properly bless the wine, you need to: First, read aloud Genesis 1:31-2:3 from the Torah Lift the cup of wine and bless it. Go to http://www.aish.com/sh/ht/fn/48967396.html to get more information on this blessing. Bless Shabbat. This blessing can be found at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/practice/prayers-blessings/shabbat-evening-blessings-kiddush-blessing-over-wine The blessing could also be found on almost every siddur (Jewish prayer book).

Bless, break, and eat the bread. Like the candles, you should have two loaves of braided Sabbath bread known as Challah. The blessing over the bread is called HaMotzi. The purpose of blessing the bread is to show gratitude for the meal that God has provided. To properly bless the bread, you should: Uncover the bread and say a blessing over it. Information on this blessing can be found at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/practice/prayers-blessings/shabbat-blessings-hamotzi-blessing-over-bread-meal. Slice, salt, and eat the bread after the blessings. This can be in forms other the traditional braided loaves. Some prepare garlic pita bread, while others incorporate cinnamon and raisins to make a sweeter challah.

Serve an appetizer. Try making a Mediterranean dip, a unique salsa, or gefilte fish. These dishes are common to serve at the beginning of the meal.

Serve soup or salad. The next part of the meal typically includes serving and eating soup, salad, or both. If serving a soup, try chicken soup, beef and mushroom barley, or ginger carrot soup. If serving a salad, consider a mandarin-orange beet salad or a romaine pepper steak salad.

Serve a main dish with two or more sides. For the main course, there are many different options to choose from. For the main dish, consider making meatballs in a mushroom sauce, apricot chicken, or brisket. For the side dishes, try kugels, ratatouille, or green bean almandine.

Serve dessert. Finish the last course strong with a tasty and sweet treat. Some different desserts you may want to make include: apple crumble, peanut butter ice cream pie, or double chocolate fudge brownies.

Worshipping on Shabbat

Attend a Jewish service. You can go to synagogue during Shabbat and experience a slightly varied form of Jewish worship where the focus is on personal and group prayer. At these services, you should focus more on praising God than making requests from him.

Study the Torah. You can also celebrate Shabbat by reading Jewish scripture. Doing this can help you focus on God and learn more about judaism. You can read the Torah by yourself or discuss it with a friend or family member. The Torah is most prominently made up of historical stories, which reveal God’s influence and work, as well as the details of Halahka, the Jewish laws. Most importantly, The Torah teaches of commandments and the welfare of the body and soul. Get into the habit of reading and/or discussing a new section of the Torah with a friend or family member each Shabbat. Select a small group of Jewish laws to study, or pick a particular story to read and discuss with a friend over coffee.

Sing Jewish songs. There are many different Jewish songs, often in Hebrew, that have messages of praise and worship. During Shabbat, you can sing these songs at synagogue or a Shabbat meal with others. Some worship songs you can sing include: ”Ki Tavo'u El Ha'aretz,” including text from the book of Leviticus ”Vehitifu Heharim Asis,” including text from the book of Amos ”Birkat HaKohanim,” including text from the book of Numbers

Participating in Leisure Activities During Shabbat

Socialize with family, friends, and the synagogue community. Many take the time to reconnect with old relatives or friends during Shabbat. You can call, write, or spend time with those close to you to show them love and support.

Indulge in hobbies and relax. Since Shabbat is considered a day of rest, you can celebrate by doing whatever it is that relaxes you and feels like fun instead of work. Here are some examples of activities you may want to try: Volunteering Going for a nature walk Visiting a museum

Participate in activities at your own discretion. Traditionally, there are thirty-nine different tasks that practicing Jews are not supposed to do during Shabbat. Mostly, these activities resemble work. However, the standards have shifted a lot over time. Some Jews adhere strictly to the list and others follow guidelines more loosely. There is much debate over the acceptability of partaking in certain activities, such as watching television, driving a car, cooking, cleaning, and spending money. Some of the original thirty-nine prohibited tasks include: Plowing Baking Shearing wool Weaving Sewing stitches Writing two or more letters Building Kindling a fire