Recently in personal stories Category

Shabbat continues to be a hot topic in the blogosphere.  Check out this blogger's account of her "Do-It-Yourself Shabbat".

Here's a little sound-bite to whet your appetite:

"It all started with nothing to do. One Friday afternoon, as I realized I hadn't made plans for Shabbat dinner, I decided to, finally, gather people to my own table. The people I invited were purposefully not the usual Shabbat suspects, so I wasn't sure that an invitation to Shabbat dinner would be appealing.

Turns out it was."

Lynda Hoffman of Temple Ohabei Salom in Brookline, MA writes:

"I would prefer to go to Friday night services, but my multiple disabilities and age make it impossible.  My personal assistant (who is also Jewish) and I, Light Shabbat candles, have dinner and watch a movie together!
It is agreat way to have a low key shabbat and I am already in bed when the movie is over."

As conversations about Shabbat have begun to flow, we are beginning to hear great stories from those who use their time on Shabbat to do the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim, visiting the sick, and also spending time with the elderly and housebound members of their communities.
For example, Judy Lundy from B'nai Israel in Charleston, WV shared with us that after Shabbat lunch, she prepares bud vases with flowers, from the bimah flowers, and takes them with her when she visits those of the congregation that are either just unable to attend, or in the hospital, or sick at home. "I find this a pleasant and enjoyable and very satisfying way to spend my Shabbat" she says.

If you have such a story, or similar ideas for mitzvot we can do on Shabbat, please share them with us as well!
 
 
 

Rabbi Edwin C. Goldberg of Temple Judea in Coral Gables, FL shares this story:


A number of years ago I took a two-month sabbatical.  Ironically, this sabbatical enabled me to miss our usual Friday night 6:00 p.m. services and therefore one Shabbat, as 6 p.m. and sundown approached, I found myself in an uncharacteristic place: on a baseball bleacher with other parents, watching my son, Benjy, play baseball.  Because I was there (and not at the synagogue) I saw him make an outstanding catch.  Nevertheless, it felt strange not welcoming the Sabbath.

Sitting nearby were some temple members.  One of them, Jill, said to me, "Rabbi, the sun has gone down, shouldn’t we be celebrating Shabbat?"  I thought she was teasing me so I thought quickly how I might respond.  But before I could say anything, she took out of her bag candles, candle-sticks, wine and challah.  And before I knew it our little group were watching a baseball game and welcoming Shabbat.

I learned two important things that night.  First, sometimes we lead our congregants; sometimes they lead us.  I would never have thought of bringing Shabbat to the baseball field.  But Jill did.  And second, Shabbat can be celebrated anywhere.  All you need is some advanced planning and the desire to transform the ordinary into something holy.

I felt joy when I saw my son catch the ball.  And I felt gratitude when I realized that normally I would not have been there to see him.  But when I joined with my friends and congregants in welcoming Shabbat, I also felt the presence of God.  And I realized that, with some forethought, I don’t need to choose one joy over another.  We can have both our busy lives and our Shabbat.  It really is portable!

A close friend of mine relates this special and unique Shabbat tradition that she and her parents have recently begun:

"When I talked to my parents the other week, they said that they missed me most during Shabbat. They especially miss having the chance to bless me (with the blessing over the children that parents often say on Shabbat), since that is one of the times they feel the closest to me. In talking about what they could do about those feelings, they came up with the idea that maybe we could try to schedule time on every Shabbat for us to talk. Since I have been down here in Peru, we have been using Skype videochats to communicate, so they suggested that we could cook our individual Shabbat dinners in our different parts of the world, but then bring the laptops to the Shabbat table and do the prayers together. We did that for the first time this past Friday, and have plans to do it again next week. While its not quite the same as being at home with them, it does help to allay some of the feelings of distance. And its also good for us because it encourages us to make sitting down to Shabbat part of our hectic routine too."

Lee Howard of United Hebrew Congregation in Joplin, Missouri writes about the interfaith Shabbat experience he shared with his congregation and the local Muslim community:

"Last fall the members of our congregation were invited by the Joplin Muslim community to visit their new mosque for a dinner. On Jan 18, we invited the Joplin Muslims to our temple for Shabbat services and a oneg.  Our student rabbi, Brian Stoller did a wonderful job in leading services and we had a great time at the oneg, meeting and greeting our Muslim neighbors. Student Rabbi Brian handed out and read the information about URJ's program concerning "Children of Abraham: Jews and Muslims in Conversation," along with the  introductory letters of Rabbi Yoffie and Dr Ingrid Matson, President of the ISNA.

We had a wonderful evening with the members of the Muslim community. When my wife and I left the oneg around 11 p.m., there were members of both congregations still engaged in friendly conversation.

We hope to continue a dialog and friendship with our new friends."

What a wonderful way to spend Erev Shabbat!  Kol Hakavod to United Hebrew Congregation and the Joplin Muslim community!

Celebrating Shabbat is something that is special and appreciated all around the world. Scott Leonard relays the experience of members of B'nai Baghdad, in Iraq:

"Shabbat is special here because we get to enjoy an hour or two of normalcy. People gather from across the International Zone for a Shabbat service, a chance to share their experiences from the past week, enjoy a healthy discussion of the weekly parashah, and dinner.  Our congregation includes many people that would probably not meet each other without the common bond of Judaism and a desire to maintain some traditions in this place. B'nai Baghdad congregants include members of US Military, State Department, Contractors, Australian Army, and anyone else who seeks the unique camaraderie offered every week."

For most converts to whom I have spoken, and indeed, for myself, there was some type of experience that let us know that "this was it." We were Jewish--spiritually, we had come home.

For me, this experience was my first Shabbat service. I still remember the date, December 14th 1998. I had never been to a Shabbat service before, and as I watched the sun set that evening, I remember feeling both a sense of hope and anticipation for the service I was going to attend that night. Anticipation, because it was my first time at a synagogue service and hope, because I so much hoped I would find what I had been searching for.

Judith Bitterman, of Temple Emeth in Teaneck, NJ writes:


Shabbat begins for me on Friday night. On Friday morning, before I
leave for work, I set my table and get my candles ready to light when I
get home. I make a nice dinner and, using the Birkon Mikdash M'at, I
make kiddush (including the Va'Y'chulu) and Motzi. When I am finished
eating, I chant the Birkat HaMazon. Then I attend services, either at
my home congregation or at another shul, if there is a special program
that I want to attend.

On Shabbat morning, I am up early to attend Torah study at my shul
(Yes, I am Reform; I just like the Yiddish word for our place of
gathering, learning and worship) and then attend services.