Hadassah Southern California
One of our Hadassah colleagues, Carol Rosenthal who is the National
Missions Co-Chair, shared her inspiring thoughts about Shabat.
- For many years when my kids were still at home, we would rush home from work, get a
nice Shabbat dinner made & eaten (for us, always chicken & rice) & rush to Shabbat
evening services. - We’d sit down in the same pew, of course, right behind our friends Hilde & Lou & take
a breath.Ah! Then I would realize that that was the first long, full breath of the week.
The hustle & bustle of work & kids & life had come to a halt for that week.
- Shabbat had come & all else had stopped or at least slowed down.
A time to breathe. A time to be thankful. A time to remember to add holiness to our
everyday lives. A time to come together as a community, a Jewish community - My Jewish community is the same & yet very different than most of my friends Jewish communities. I live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Jewish population is approximately 65
families. The Jewish population of the entire State of South Dakota is about 150 families.
And yet, we have Jewish life & activities here that are so similar to everywhere else.
Same but different. - That similarity is what I love about being Jewish & about observing Shabbat. When I travel,
with Hadassah to Israel or to my family around the United States, I feel at home. Many of
the same foods, the same prayers, the same tunes, the same family & community feeling.
The same Shabbat peace fulness that makes it different than the rest of the week - Do we go to Shabbat services weekly? No. Do we do something special weekly for
Shabbat? Yes. Light the candles. Make kiddush. Eat our Shabbat chicken & rice. Sit
down at the dining room table together for dinner. Breathe. Slow down the pace for a
day, or even just an evening.
- At Mt. Zion in Sioux Falls, we do not have a full-time, or even a part-time rabbi. We
participate in the student rabbi program from Hebrew Union College & a student rabbi
serves our congregation bi-monthly during the school year. One of those students many
years ago told our families to not look at Shabbat as an all or nothing. Could we just add
one thing to our lives that would make Shabbat different & separate from the rest of the
week? All sit down to dinner together. A favorite meal. Lighting Shabbat candles. Saying Kiddush. Bake challah together as a family. Then maybe add another thing. Just make it special. Our congregation for the last four years has held a First Friday Family Shabbat
Potluck Dinner at the Temple. It’s a special meal which brings us together as a community.
Any size community could do this. Or a family could do this with friends. We all look
forward to being together for Shabbat every month. - How does one start? Don’t think of the negatives – what you are not allowed to do on
Shabbat. Think of Shabbat as a gift for the week. It’s a time to re-charge & to be grateful. Shabbat. A time to breathe. A time to be thankful. A time to remember to add holiness to
our everyday lives. Give it a try! I’d love to hear about your Shabbat traditions.
Shabbat Shalom,
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