Shabbat means to cease or to break off from work, therefore Jews are not allowed to work during Shabbat.

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Wendy Lee – L5A

Shabbat

        Shabbat means to cease or to break off from work, therefore Jews are not allowed to work during Shabbat. It begins on Friday evening when the sunsets and night falls. This is a holy day and symbolises when God made the world in six days and he rested on the seventh day.

        When Shabbat begins, it is welcomed into the house. All the preparations are done beforehand, as no work can be done on Shabbat. When winter falls and the days become shorter, the parents must leave work early and the children leave earlier and help clean and tidy the house and prepare for Shabbat. An important part of the Jewish Children’s upbringing is that they are always asked to help with preparations for Shabbat.

        The best cutlery and crockery is used for Shabbat, and all the cooking is done beforehand, and kept warm on the stove. When the work has been finished, every member of the family has a bath and get dressed into their Shabbat clothes.

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        When everything is done, just before sunset, the mother lights the candles, marking the time when Shabbat begins. It is always the woman’s privilege to usher the Shabbat, she covers her eyes and beckons with her arms, and recites a blessing. She uses this moment to say a prayer for her family. It is a very holy moment, for Shabbat has arrived.

        The father blesses his children, usually in Hebrew. It is a pray-ful wish that his children will grow up to be Jewish, and follow the examples of the righteous Jewish men and woman in the history of Judaism.

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