Rekindle  Shabbat

“Since we joined the program, Shabbat has become a very special night for us. We give it precedence over all other activities.  The kids take pride in following along with the prayers.  Nowhere does my children’s sense of Jewishness ring as clearly – to them and to us – as at the Shabbat table. Thank you for igniting this flame.” Joanne Benedict, South Hamilton

Rekindle Shabbat is about connections, community, spirituality, quality family time and Jewish memories. Rekindle Shabbat, a free family-centered, home-based program, has been providing warm, wonderful and positive Jewish experiences for thousands of people on the North Shore since 1997. Your family is invited to join more than 1,300 families, and more than 3,600 individuals, who discovered the beauty and benefits of Rekindle Shabbat.

When you join Rekindle Shabbat, you receive, free of charge:
-Kosher, catered meals four times a year for you and your buddy family to enjoy in the comfort of your home
-A fully stocked Shabbat kit, including silver kiddush cup for wine, Shabbat candles and candle sticks, a beautiful challah cover from Israel, and much more
-An interactive workshop for parents on how to Rekindle Shabbat
-A spiritual connection to our Jewish Family and a social connection to other Jewish families in our community

Rekindle Shabbat 2012-2013  Dates

Rekindle Shabbat Dinners are held on the following Friday evenings in your home, at a time that is convenient for you:

November 30, 2012       January 11, 2013       March 8, 2013         May 3, 2013

Orientation for parents new to the program will take place:

To register for the 2012-2013 Rekindle Shabbat call Phyllis Osher at 978-740-4404, email posher@rilcf.org or click here to register online.

What Rekindle Shabbat means to families:

“I have to say that Rekindle Shabbat has helped bring my family so close to another family.  Our families have become very close.  All the members of our families all look forward to our Shabbats together, as well as other family gatherings throughout the year that we now celebrate together.”
Jodi Kerble, Marblehead

“My family has gained so much by participating in Rekindle Shabbat.  We had just moved here and were able to immediately become involved with the Jewish community while enjoying a traditional meal.  We have even continued the traditional experience other Shabbat evenings as a family. We look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.”
- Marci, Neil, Daisy, and Natalie Walters, Swampscott

“Rekindle Shabbat means that we get to take a break from the normal chaos and do something meaningful as a family. We discuss tzedakah and what it means with our son who just turned three. We also wrote our own blessing for our children that lets them know how wonderful they are as well as our hopes for their future.”
- Randi Brown, Middleton

“Our family has been participating in the Rekindle Shabbat program for two years now.  We have enjoyed meeting a new “buddy family” with whom to share Shabbat every couple of months, and we have also found that our whole family looks forward to celebrating Shabbat every week.  We started out with the Rekindle Shabbat ritual book as our guide for what to do, and we have built our own family Shabbat traditions around the core components.  The Rekindle Shabbat program has been a very positive experience for us.”
- Sarah Wulf, Saugus

“Just like most families our family is very busy with work, school, sports, and other activities. It’s difficult to find time to spend it relaxing with the family.  Rekindle Shabbat is a great program that allows us to spend quality family time together.  We do Shabbat ceremony, we eat, we laugh, kids play.  It’s a really great program.”
- Tatyana Asnis, Swampscott

“I want to incorporate this tradition into Joshua’s life now, when he is so young, so it will be part of his life forever.
- Stacey Comito, Peabody

“Shabbat? Before Rekindle Shabbat, I had no idea how to do Shabbat. Now, it is a part of our lives.”
- Jessica O’Gorman, Swampscott

“We really use the program as a way to take a breath, stop, get together with friends and connect. I see that as a huge gift.”
- Laura Watkin, Marblehead

“When I joined the Rekindle Shabbat program years ago, I thought it would be a program for the children. When I look back, I have learned as much as everyone else.”
- Marilyn Andrews, Malden

“We had an impromptu Shabbat after I got the Shabbat kit and my kids were so happy. I didn‘t realize what an impact it would have on them until we actually did it. They knew all the songs and all the prayers. It was wonderful.”
- Margie Sheris, Beverly

“It is an opportunity to spend Shabbat with other families and keep our children interested. We can make it what we want it to be. Rekindle Shabbat gave us the tools and we can customize it to the needs of our families.”
- Heather Greenberg, Swampscott

“Before Rekindle Shabbat, we sporadically lit candles and took time to acknowledge Shabbat, but now we do it consistently and I feel it is a ritual that will stay with my kids throughout their lives.”
- Amy Cohn, Marblehead

“It encouraged us to do the blessings and to stop and reflect on our week and it helped us to observe Shabbat every single week.”
- Elisa Zimmerman, Peabody