Shabbat Hospitality

Shabbat begins on sundown on Friday night and ends with the havdala service which occurs when there are three stars visible in the night sky on Saturday evening.

The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. Those that observew shabbat consider it a full day of rest and view it as a great relief from an otherwise hectic week. It is not necessarily a day of prayer either, since within Judaism obvservant Jews pray each day, three times a day. Shabbat riturals generally include an elaborate Friday night dinner, and a Saturday lunch, as well as an afternoon rest and other rituals. On Shabbat people are suppose to depart from their weekday rituals and problems and involve themselves in higher level pursuits. Special prayers and songs are said on Shabbat, one of the most beautiful is " which translates to "come my beloved" referring to shabbat as a bride.

To have an opportunity to share an evening Shabbat meal in Israel with an observant or traditional family is often the highlight experience of a visit to the Holy Land for those who are interested in learning more about Jewish customs and their biblical significant. To participate in a Shabbat dinner hospitality, you must first "join Travelujah" and then send us an email with your request.