A secular sabbath

"... a few minutes before sunset, tranquility gradually sets in. My unfinished pre-Shabbat chores are now a thing of the past. Hopefully, so are any of my poor grades, money issues and personal frustrations.

The bedlam of the Shabbat preparations pays off almost immediately when I join my rabbi and friends in the Friday evening prayers - largely composed of good company and beautiful millennia-old songs. Socializing and singing with close friends typically pushes away any stressful thoughts somehow lingering past sunset. If not, the delicious dinner that typifies Shabbat will.

This specific format of the Sabbath is uniquely Jewish. Singing and praying in Hebrew and discussing insights to the Torah are neither accessible nor appealing to the vast majority of non-Jews.

But I say "this specific format" because Shabbat - or more precisely, what it provides - need not be restricted to observant Jews. Tranquility, self-reflection and social closeness are accessible to people of all faiths and people of no faith."

A secular sabbath - The Tulane Hullabaloo : Columns:

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Face to faith: Today's Sabbath of Return urges us all to ask ourselves what unique purpose we each have on earth

Today is the first Sabbath following the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. It a special Sabbath which takes its name from the opening verse of the biblical passage read in synagogue on this day: "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have fallen because of your sin" (Hosea 14:2). The Hebrew word for return is shuvah, hence the Sabbath is known as Shabbat Shuvah or the Sabbath of Return. Traditionally on this day rabbis devote their sermons to the theme of repentance, encouraging their congregants to take advantage of the propitious time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), which falls eight days later, by repenting and making amends.

Face to faith: Today's Sabbath of Return urges us all to ask ourselves what unique purpose we each have on earth | Comment is free | The Guardian:

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Celebrate Shabbat, Burning Man style

On a Friday night in early September, more than 150 people gathered under a domelike open structure built in the desert to sing, pray, light candles and share in the traditions of the Sabbath. The open-air design, decorated with colorful scarves and an illuminated Star of David, is not the typical place you might imagine celebrating the Sabbath.

In the middle of the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, more than 53,000 participants came to experience the 25th year of Burning Man, a counterculture city that comes to life for eight days each year. Based on 10 principles, including radical self-expression, self-reliance, leaving no trace and communal effort, Burning Man is the extreme sport of summer festivals. Facing dry, sizzling summer days, cold nights and 70-mile-an-hour dust storms, participants are pushed to their limits.

Celebrate Shabbat, Burning Man style - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News:

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Tacos, pups and prayer: Local synagogues offer tradition with a twist

Once a month, San Francisco’s Congregation Beth Israel Judea welcomes Shabbat with a service of drumming and singing.

Each spring, Temple Emanu-El in San Jose designates a weekend for “Paws Shabbat,” inviting congregants to bring their animals.

On the first Friday of the month, a taco truck appears outside San Francisco’s Congregation Emanu-El so congregants can enjoy a post-service supper.

Tacos, pups and prayer: Local synagogues offer tradition with a twist 

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Central Park: Social Networking on Shabbat

"In honor of Labor Day, often accepted as the end of summer, it seems appropriate to reflect on a summer phenomenon of the Jewish Upper West Side in Manhattan.

The gathering of troves of young Jews at the Great Lawn of Central Park in Manhattan on Saturday afternoons is in many ways like a non-virtual Facebook, except without alerts of your friends in common. Like social networking sites, it is ideal for maintaining connections with those you don't see often."

Ariel Gros-Werter: Central Park: Social Networking on Shabbat

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Author sets her ‘Table’ with a Shabbat Sampler

Shabbat is “hardwired” into our Jewish souls.

That’s the notion that underlies Yvette Alt Miller’s new book, “Angels at the Table: A Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat.”

“Every Jewish person was made with this metaphysical connection to Shabbat,” she said in an interview. “Many are drawn to [observing the Sabbath] even if they may not be ready to accept every recommendation in the book.”  --- by brendan molaghan,

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/62725/author-sets-her-table-with-a-shabbat-sampler1/

Challah in a Clyde summer

By Sharon Shenhav, September 5, 2011

As Israelis who find Jerusalem summers too hot for our taste, my husband and I have a unique solution. Invited to visit Scottish friends 13 years ago, we found that the cool, rainy weather in August was perfect.

Spending Shabbat on the Isle of Arran, we were delighted by the natural beauty of the island as well as the laid-back approach to life - a haven for Israelis who are bombarded with existential challenges and daily tension and anxiety.

Challah in a Clyde summer | The Jewish Chronicle:

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Hosting a Sustainable Shabbat Dinner

By Judith Belasco

One day out of seven, we have the opportunity to stop creating and start being. To enjoy the world around us, including friends and family, beautiful places, enjoyable activities. To rest and recharge. If sustainability is about meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations, Shabbat is a great place to start practicing this for ourselves—and for the world. Imagine if one day out of seven, the entire world stopped buying, producing, driving.

For thousands of years, Shabbat has sustained the Jewish people by providing a respite from the work of the week. Creating a sustainable Shabbat dinner, a meal that uses our natural resources wisely, means that Shabbat can continue to sustain us for thousands of years to come.

Hosting a Sustainable Shabbat Dinner – Jew and the Carrot – Forward.com

Author sets her ‘Table’ with a Shabbat sampler

by brendan molaghan, washington jewish week

Shabbat is “hardwired” into our Jewish souls. That’s the notion that underlies Yvette Alt Miller’s new book, “Angels at the Table: A Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat.”

“Every Jewish person was made with this metaphysical connection to Shabbat,” she said in an interview. “Many are drawn to [observing the Sabbath] even if they may not be ready to accept every recommendation in the book.”

Author sets her ‘Table’ with a Shabbat sampler | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California