Most holidays throughout the world come every year, usually on the same date or the same day of a season, and are associated with an event or a person that affected a particular people or group. Among Jewish festivals, many are celebrated annually for these reasons, but our most important holiday, Shabbat, is celebrated weekly as a day of peace and rest.
Shabbat is not only the most frequent holiday, but also considered the most holy and sanctified of Jewish days, more so than Yom Kippur. Through Shabbat, the Jewish people have alwyas preserved the most edifying values family life, study, and closeness to God. Beginning with dusk on Friday evening and continuing until a half hour after sunset on Saturday, we have a day-long period in which to reacquaint oursevles with families and friends, inner thoughts and prayers, so often overlooked in the rush of daily life.
Shabbat invites you to exercise your mind, heart, and soul through Jewish symbols, ceremonies, and concepts. We are encouraged to study for the sake of study, connect with our families (as we define them), and embrace the spiritual richness of Judaism.