Preserve the memory of your loved one with a plaque on our Yahrzeit Wall. Learn More ->

Search
Close this search box.

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

“Here, in hearth of heart, / All is made whole.”

A lit candle glows inside a metal lantern with a heart-shaped window.

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

Silhouette of a person standing on rocks, watching a sunset over a calm sea with rays of light streaming through clouds.

“Draw from me, and I from you. / Let us mingle a new moon.” 

Crescent moon in a purple and orange sunset sky over a grassy field with a rock and bare tree silhouette.

“And this is how we begin again: let our lives be renewed at this sacred time, when the end and the beginning become one.”

Wine bottle, goblet, lit candles, and challah bread covered with a decorative cloth on a wooden table.

“The past and the present are one here”

City skyline with a tall tower, surrounded by greenery, and a wide road leading through a forested area under a bright sky.
“Maybe this year / You’ve been burning the candle at both ends…”
People holding hands around a candlelit dinner table with wine and plates, creating a cozy atmosphere.

An alternative ritual for not lighting Shabbat candles

Silhouette of a person against a bright, blurred sunset background with a lens flare effect.

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

Person in a blue sweater holding a silver cup with both hands.

“Is she mapping Sabbath?”

Two people in masks sitting in chairs outside, conversing in a garden setting.

Short kabbalat Shabbat service

Two people playing guitars at sunset, silhouetted against an orange sky.

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

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network