Independence Day Shabbat

Thank you everyone for attending our Independence Day Shabbat!  We had a cookout, Tot Shabbat, patriotic service, and the famous WRJ Red, White, & Blue Shabbat Oneg.

Shabbat (the Sabbath) is a key part of Jewish life; it is observed as a day of rest and spiritual rejuvenation. Shabbat takes place from nightfall on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. In the home and synagogue, blessings are made and candles are lit to welcome Shabbat and signify the start of the festival. The Kiddush prayer is recited to represent the holiness of the day. Blessings are made over wine and challah. (See information on Shabbat services with our new Guide to Jewish Services.)

SPECIAL

Special Shabbat Services are held throughout the year. Just a few of these services include: Brotherhood and Sisterhood Shabbats, Independence Day Shabbat, Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat, Interfaith Shabbat, and a Yom Hashoah Shabbat service led by the Grade 6 class. These services often have a special guest who speaks in place of a sermon by one of our rabbis.

Saturday Morning Shabbat Services are always held at 10:30 am, after Torah Study which begins at 9:00 am. On many Saturdays of the year, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah student leads the Shabbat service and a kiddish luncheon for everyone takes place following the service. On those occasions, there is usually a special table – the Rebbe’s Tisch – where congregants can continue studying the weekly Torah portion with the rabbi.