Contemporary Shabbat Practice

“The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world.” –Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, 1951
 

Latest Rituals

“May the light of the Shabbat candles cause us all to see each other as part of our shared community”

As We Light the Shabbat Candles

Video on key-shaped challah

Unlock the Gates of Prosperity: Key-Shaped Challah

“We do not celebrate Shabbat, / We receive it.”

Kabbalat Shabbat

“each of our homes / a canopy of Sabbath peace”

Livestreaming Kabbalat Shabbat: A Poem

An alternative ritual for not lighting Shabbat candles

Reimagining Candle Lighting in a Time of Climate Crisis

“We don’t have to struggle on without end”

Contemporary Shabbat Evening Kiddush

“Is she mapping Sabbath?”

Pandemic Sabbath

Short kabbalat Shabbat service

Three-Minute Musical Kabbalat Shabbat

“Shabbat creeps up on my week …”

Shabbat

“You cause me to breathe deeply”

Hitoreri, Hitoreri

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Count On Telling Your Story: A Ritualwell In-Person Immersion

Join us for Count On Telling Your Story: A Ritualwell In-Person Immersion on Sunday, June 9th. Mix and mingle with old and new friends, enjoy delicious kosher-vegetarian food and engage in a variety of creative, thought-provoking sessions exploring rituals, writing, and art.

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The Reconstructionist Network