I think it's time to write about Shabbos and the Shabbos Project!
Four years ago the chief Rabbi of South Africa Rabbi Warren Goldstein got an amazing idea that has quite literally changed the face of the Jewish World....
He inspired over 85% of the Jewish population in South Africa, the majority of whom were not actually "religious" to keep an entire Shabbos with all its halachic ramifications! They had a Challah Bake the Thursday night before the appointed shabbos with 100s of women participating and had a Havdalah Concert with Shlomo Katz at the end of Shabbos attended by over 5000 people!!
When the rest of the world heard about what an awesome Shabbos South African Jewry had managed to pull off, they wanted in.... and thus the Shabbos Project was born!
Here in New Hempstead we have been participating in our own small way and have had our own Shabbos Project Shabaton in 2014, and in 2015 and this year we are planning on combining the celebration of Shabbos with Yoga, Meditation and the total release and relaxation suggested by the yogic pose "Shevassanah" to create the
Tiferet Movement Shabassanah Retreat!
In our times when so many of us spend so much time on computers and talking to our friends on cell phones and through facebook instead of sharing face time, Shabbos brings a refreshing change of pace.
I must confess, I find Shabbos a most welcome reprieve from the constant allure of google, work, emails, LinkedIn and yes I must include facebook. All of these technologies are wonderful, and I am employing the benefits of them with this blog, however, the change to my social interactions has been very much noticed and makes shabbos so much more appreciated.
When we need to stop and remind ourselves to walk instead of drive, take time out to meditate and pray instead of continuing without pause, when sitting down to family meals with loved ones becomes more and more of a memory; Shabbos is truly a visible and more obvious gift each passing year. So many times I have read about internet addiction, and I believe it's a real thing and something that adults and children are suffering from at earlier and earlier ages, but on Shabbos we unplug for 26 hours... what a great antidote ! We step away and unplug and all breathe a collective sigh of relief.
As they have always said, " More than the Jews have kept Shabbos, Shabbos has kept the Jews!"
So, if you already observe Shabbos, perhaps join in and participate in a local Challah Bake, or invite a friend who has not yet begun the amazing Shabbos journey to join you, not just for the Challah Bake, but perhaps some challah that you might have baked, at your own Shabbos table...., and if you have not yet committed to Shabbos observance, why not try it next shabbos for Parshas Lech Lecha when so many around the world will try to keep it all together!
To participate in a Challah Bake right here in Rockland
sign up via link below
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