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, one of 3,000 participants in the Rekindle
Shabbat program
Rekindle Shabbat, 2008-2009
Now in its 12th season, more than 912 families or 3,600 individuals have joined this free program to enjoy Shabbat in their homes.
The Lappin Foundation is giving away a limited number of free copies of the highly praised book The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat by Meredith Jacobs valued at $16.95, to new families and returning families, who refer a new family to join Rekindle Shabbat. Copies will be sent, as long as supplies last, when registration is received.
Here’s what you get:
•Free kosher chicken dinners with challah, grape juice and dessert, for four Friday night dinners on Nov. 21, 2008 and Jan. 23, March 20 and May 15, 2009.
•Free Shabbat kit containing ritual items for the entire family including candlesticks, candles, silver wine cup, silk challah cover and The Family Guide to Preparing for and Celebrating the Sabbath by Dr. Ron Wolfson.
•Free one-hour interactive educational session on Shabbat rituals for one adult in families new to the program on October 29, 2008 at a location to be announced.: There are three ways to participate in Rekindle Shabbat:
1. You can join with a buddy family
2. We will match you with a buddy family
3. You can participate with just your own family.
Rekindle Shabbat, a $200 value per family, is free for Jewish, interfaith and single parent families with children of high school age and younger enrolled in a Jewish institution, or living in the Lappin Foundation’s service area. It is also free for grandparents living in the service area who are raising grandchildren Jewish. Others may participate at a cost of $36 per person.
Wendy Mogel, author of Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children praises the Shabbat dinner as an anchor for families whose lives may be chaotic from the many activities, sports practices and achievement focused activities that interfere with family downtime. She describes the Shabbat dinner as an “anchor,” and a “time to pause, to give thanks, to connect; it is a regular recurring gift.”
What Rekindle Shabbat means to our families:
Jessica O’Gorman, Swampscott
‘Shabbat? Before Rekindle Shabbat, I had no idea how to do Shabbat. Now, it is a part of our lives.”
Laura Watkin, Marblehead
“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.”
Marilyn Andrews, Malden:
“When I joined the Rekindle Shabbat program six years ago, I thought it would be a program for the children. When I look back, I have learned as much as everyone else.”
Margie Sheris, Beverly
“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.”
Heather Greenberg, Swampscott
“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.”
Amy Cohn, Marblehead
“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.”
Rabbi Lee Levin of Temple Shalom in Salem
“Shabbat is the Jewish version of stopping to smell the roses. We get so caught up in the daily grind that it is so easy to forget that all of creation is a gift to humanity. Our daily grind is nothing if we cannot take a step back and think about what it is all for.”
Elisa Zimmerman, Peabody
“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.”
Register online by clicking here.
For more information, call Andrea Katz , 978-740-4404 or email: akatz@rilcf.org.
