I love Shabbat! Growing up, Shabbat was a main character in my home. I would often ask my mother questions like, “What are you up to this weekend? What are you having this Friday night dinner? Do we have to go to synagogue again?” The answers I hear to these questions, respectively, would be, “Oh, Shabbat is in town! A special Shabbat meal! But it’s Shabbat!”. Over time, through these experiences, I came to learn, as so many of our students at HEA do, that Shabbat is precisely what makes the weekend special, joyful, and something to look forward to. One Shabbat, we started a tradition of sharing gratitude during our Friday dinners. It was a small idea that made a big impact on my family. Before I knew what mindfulness was, we were using Shabbat as a mindfulness meter, a way of taking our temperature and having a moment of presence with each other.
The Hebrew Educational Alliance thrives through Shabbat. Our lively Azamra program has us waiting all month for the next one. Our Saturday services reflect traditions rooted in historical liturgy in a mix of spiritually inspiring, musical prayer. We end Shabbat services together as one community with a delicious kiddush or a tough game of mahjong. We also pride ourselves in our Shabbat programs for youth and young families. HEA is a place where kids can enjoy Shabbat. And dare I even say it, a place where they want to come.
As we celebrate A Year of Shabbat, I’d like to highlight some of the variety of Shabbat programs we offer for youth and families that you should know about so you can enjoy them! Last year, we successfully launched our newest program, Shabbat-Along. Shabbat-Along is a young family Kabbalat Shabbat program geared towards preschool and elementary age and their parents and grandparents. We start at 4:30 p.m. with an optional bridging program with child-friendly activities for those who can come early or don’t want to go home. This is followed by a family-friendly service and dinner. Our first Shabbat-Along of 5784 is Friday, October 27. You can register HERE. Our USY hosts monthly USY Shabbat Dinners with a different theme every month, from Casino Night to Pajama Party. Teens in 8th through 12th grade are welcome to join us for community bonding, prayers, food, and fun. Our next USY Shabbat is on Friday, November 10. Register HERE. If you would like to get added to our USY emails, please reach out to Yuri Tavbin to be added.
Our monthly Tot Shabbat is an excellent program for those looking to bring their young child to synagogue on Saturday mornings and connect with other young families. Our amazing PJ Library representative, Ilyse Beckerman, hosts a playdate starting at 10:45 a.m. with snacks and toddler-friendly toys. Our rabbis, Dani Tavbin and Yuri Tavbin lead an age-appropriate family service that your toddler is going to love. Once a year, we host New Baby Shabbat, which offers special prayers and a service for families with babies that were born within the last year. This year, our New Baby Shabbat is on Saturday, March 2. If you would like to participate for yourself or a grandchild, please email me. If you were at the Yom Kippur Mincha service this year, you would see our talented youth leading the service. Don’t worry if you missed it; you can catch them on February 10 for Youth-Led Shabbat. Our teens will help lead all aspects of Shabbat services on this day. Our 6th and 7th graders can get a taste of B’nai Mitzvahs through our Taste of Shabbat program. This is designed for families who are still figuring out what service they want to do for their B’nai Mitzvahs and get a taste of our different service offerings.
Twice a year, our HEArt Religious School has Shabbat School! Instead of students coming on Sunday, we have families come to pray and learn on Shabbat morning. Our goal for Shabbat School is for students and their families to gain a better understanding of the Shabbat service while feeling a part of our larger community. We start with a family service where students help lead prayers for us. Students then have learning time. In the past, we have done activities ranging from Setting Up your Shabbat Table to understanding The Flow of Shabbat Service. Finally, we all end up together with the community for kiddush because intergenerational social connections are a hallmark of what makes a Shabbat at HEA so special. Additionally, we host annual HEArt Mensch Academy Shabbat dinners for our middle schoolers as they move into preparing for their B’nai Mitzvahs and a 4th and 5th grade Shabbat dinner to strengthen those class communities as students head into middle school. And many of our families cherish their time with their Shabbat Clubs as well!
There is so much community and fun to be had at HEA on Shabbat! Be on the lookout for new Shabbat programs to come for youth and families, and let us know if you have ideas for how to enrich Shabbat at HEA by joining ourShabbat Task Force. So, I invite you to make HEA your Shabbat better and find some moments of gratitude together.
