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Friday Evening

Wine, candles, and challah bread partially covered with an embroidered cloth on a table.

Friday night is a festive occasion—a time to slow down, eat well, sing, and engage deeply with one another. Traditionally, we welcome the Sabbath bride by lighting candles, reciting Kiddush, and saying a blessing over challah. We bless the children among us and some of us turn to bless each other. We sing a song to welcome angels and welcome guests to our table. Some people find Shabbat peace in simply joining together to watch a movie or play a game. As we gather with loved ones or take time for ourselves, Friday night offers us the opportunity to look back on the week that has passed. We begin to slow down and unwind as we open to the peace of Shabbat.
 

Latest Rituals

“as a world / as a house, a tree / exploding with birds”
black woman with frizzy blonde hair and wing-like black cape with arms spread in field of sunflowers eyes closed
The grace of a dedicated separation between the mundane and the sacred
Wooden candle holder with heart cutouts, two lit candles inside, and a white tulip on a dark surface.

“As Shabbat begins, / May Adonai revive our ability to feel”

Woman lighting candles and covering eyes, performing a ritual.

Bringing mindfulness to the act of welcoming guests through a chant and series of ritual intentions

a person is setting a table

Uplifting song for Shabbat with video

A family with children laughing and dining together at a table set with food and drinks.

“God re-nefeshes Godself”

A hiker with a backpack stands on a rock, gazing at a sunset over mountains.

“Before creation, music played”

Silhouetted woman joyfully running with a flowing scarf against a bright sunset backdrop.

“In the flickering light, You beckon me.”

 
Two people standing with closed eyes, covering their faces, in front of a table set with candles and food.

Candle lighting blessings for a sabbatical year

A vast wheat field under a clear blue sky with scattered clouds, showing two tracks leading into the distance.

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

People holding hands at a dinner table, with food, wine, and a lit candle.

The Reconstructionist Network

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The Reconstructionist Network