The gift of Shabbat

5/18/19

            Each week Jewish tradition gives us the gift of 25 hours set aside for peace, joy, holiness and rest. It’s the gift of Shabbat. How we respond to the opportunity and challenge of this gift varies from family to family, from person to person. Our relationship with Shabbat is dynamic. Just as we grow in our relationships, our abilities and interests, our needs and wants, our worldviews and politics, so too do we grow in terms of our relationship with Shabbat.

            Today we tried to honor the essence of Shabbat: rest, joy, and holiness. I’ll tell you what we did, and you can decide how each activity relates back to these three pillars.

            We woke up late (8:30) and made our way to the Israel Museum. There we gathered for our annual group photo in front of the iconic Ahava (LOVE) sculpture. Then we gathered in a shady grove for a Shabbat morning service led by Mr. O’Dell, Moreh Ilan, and our students using the personalized Siddurim (prayer books) that they’ve been compiling for the last couple of years in Judaic Studies. I strongly encourage you to ask you child’s permission to view their Siddur. We heard some incredible original poetry with the birds chirping and a gentle Shabbat breeze blowing through the trees. Speaking of breezes, we breezed through a few galleries, seeing some but only a few of the museum’s treasures, and made our way to a picnic lunch.  

            We lingered over lunch, tossing a Frisbee and enjoying Jerusalem’s famous “Gan Sacher” (Soccer Park). Then we headed back to the hotel for a few hours by the pool.

            After showering we headed out once again to have a picnic dinner in the gardens behind the King David Hotel. We concluded Shabbat with a Havdallah service overlooking Mt. Zion and the Old City and then made our way for a lantern lit walk on the Ramparts of the Old City. We walked from Jaffa Gate to Zion Gate, learning a bit about the Old City and simply enjoying the majesty of walking by lantern light amidst the unforgettable architecture. Coming back to the hotel, we had a surprise birthday celebration complete with gluten free cake, and a visit from the birthday girl’s mom who happened to be in Jerusalem on a women’s trip. A very special and meaningful coincidence!

            So today we tried to fill ourselves up with the spiritual nourishment of rest, joy, and holiness. Truth be told, we don’t need to wait for Shabbat to enjoy these blessings, but Shabbat is our weekly opportunity. The fact that this week’s Shabbat was spent in Jerusalem is something we can be sure our kids will never forget.

            Shavua Tov!