Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat involves a lot of preparation, when we arrived to the home that Friday afternoon, the family was cooking all meals for that evening and the next day. When the sun goes down, Shabbat is received with the lighting of the candles while all members of the family are present. We welcomed Shabbat with a warm kiss and handshake amongst us. This very special day is always highly anticipated throughout the week by many families and it now has now begun, we were happy. Then we were invited to join the family at the Synagogue, men and women enter and sit in separate places. Different prayers take place for no more than 30 minutes. Sal borrowed a kippa (traditional male head cover) from our host and we enjoyed the opportunity to be part of this ancient tradition. Subsequently, we returned home where a delicious dinner was expecting us. Jewish people follow specific rules for cooking, which is known as Kosher. One of the rules for example is that milk products and meats cannot be cooked together and three hours must be giving between the consumption of any milk or meat product. The source of this practice is based on the Torah where it is written that a baby cow should not be cooked in the milk of his mother. From then on, the idea of not mixing the two became generalized and followed. Shabbat dinner begins with prayers, singing, and the sharing of wine is a symbolic ceremony practiced through centuries. A double ration of bread on the table represents the abundance of “Mana,” food given by God to the Jewish people in the desert before Shabbat, which allowed them to have plenty of food for taking a day of rest. Although the Bible says: “ye shall no kindle fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day” (Exodos 35:3), most Jewish communities today have their lights set up on a timer to avoid darkness and even some places have “Shabbat elevators,” which work automatically stopping at every floor. This way they are not required to use any electricity themselves.