We started doing Friday night Shabbat dinners a while ago around here. Michael came home from Sunday school asking me why we don't celebrate Shabbat and since I didn't have an answer, we do now. Michael also insists most Fridays that we invite someone, "because Shabbat should be shared Mommy. My teacher said so." (Remind me to investigate exactly what is being taught at the synagogue we belong to.) I'm through my Jewish friends and am going to move on to my non Jewish friends soon. (I may be tapping in to bloggers also. Email me if you are interested.) I warned Amy she was next when I saw her. She giggled. I wasn't kidding.
I grumble, because he has swim lessons on Friday night and I spend Fridays at the grocery store and picking up challah and cleaning the house and getting a nice dinner together that I can throw in the oven as soon as we get home, but in the end, I'm always glad we do it. We sit down and light candles and say the blessings and have a relaxed dinner. We don't let Michael run off and play the minute he finishes dinner. We sit and talk.
Doug started this tradition where we all have to say something we like about each other. (My non Jewish husband is so lovely about these things and how much more observant we have become. He didn't exactly sign up for Friday night Shabbat dinners.) This week Michael looked at me and said "I like your love."
And I melted. And we will now have Shabbat until the end of time. Because I get the purpose now. It forces us to sit down, stop moving, and appreciate everything around us for 30 minutes. And even through we have family dinner every stinkin' night in this house, Friday night is different. We have dessert. Michael knows he isn't just getting up the minute he is done eating. There is no homework, play, shower, bed, rush. We connect, through candlelight and challah.
Thank you Michael for making us do it. I like your love too.
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I love this post. “And I melted. And we will now have Shabbat until the end of time”. Love how you captured that moment and feeling.
Dad and I love your new tradition and we were so happy to be included. Anytime you would like us to come we will do our best to make it. Also, I will be happy to cook something for all to enjoy, Love, Mom
I love this so much. I want to do something like this when I have children – or maybe even before. This is fantastic.
That is so neat. Has he started saying the prayers? I have a friend whose daughter loved to do that.
And your mom is so cute! Hi Jodifur’s mom!.
This sounds amazing! His comment just melts my heart! I’d come over for a Friday Shabbat dinner any time…Count me in for a Shabbat potluck?
That is great. I was/am going to blog about that as well. We have been doing Shabbat dinners, Going to Torah Tots on Saturday mornings, a trying to spend Shabbat as a quiet day. We aren’t running errands unless it is an emergency. Basically we are trying to teach our kids to take a day of reflection and time with our community.
Oh this is so sweet. It possible made me cry.
I like this a lot. Something you like about someone else. May try that one for a bit.
We do high/low each day. At dinner, or before bedtime share our high and low of each day. It at times can be very eye opening into my kids lives.
We do Shabbat dinner every week now, too. And I admit I sometimes (often) have the wrong attitude going into it, because really could there be a worse time in the week for Shabbat dinner than Friday night? It’s sort of a problem, isn’t it. But you’re right and we’ll do it until the end of time. Because the kids know that nobody’s running back to the TV, that we’ll eat slowly and relax, that there’s no agenda to force for the rest of the night, and that’s when the best stories of the week always come out.
What a beautiful post and tradition.
This just made me smile on the inside.
Love. The post, the tradition of dinners, the sharing of things you like, what Michael said. Love it all.
I’m not usually one to add an N to the end of AW, but this deserves it. Awwwwn.
I think you might be surprised how many friends would come, even if they weren’t Jewish or even religious at all.
This sounds like something that EVERY kindergarten family should start! I can’t tell you how welcome it would be in our house to have a time we HAVE to sit down and connect… because there always seems to be so many dang excuses. Too bad I am Catholic. We will have to call it something else! I hope ours is as great as yours!
Atheist shiksa here, and I love this. Family dinner is a good thing.
Love this, it’s perfectly beautiful.
So very truly sweet.
Lovely!