A short family Shabbat Service
Written by Dave Savage DaveSavage.com
If you are not familiar with the ways to sing-chant the songs you can go to Youtube and search the name or repeating lyrics and you'll get several versions.
Shabbat is a time we set aside for remembering and strengthening what is important to us.
This is a Shabbat moment; a time of possibilities.
The sun has set on another week, and we greet the new one with anticipation and uncertainty.
Let this shared experience, the warmth of being together, refresh us, clarify our thoughts and strengthen our
concern for one another.
We live as islands far more than most cultures of the world.
May this experience remind us of the value of bringing families together and thinking about our priorities.
♫ Hevenu Shalom ♪
Hevenu Shalom Aleichem
Hevenu Shalom Aleichem
Hevenu Shalom Aleichem
Hevenu Shalom, Shalom, Shalom Aleichem (repeat)
Translation - "Let there be peace".
Candle lightingMay these Shabbat candle lights be a beacon that welcomes us all into a community of gentleness and warmth.
Let our extended family nurture, motivate and inspire us.
Open your heart to share the love that surrounds us on this Shabbat.
As we kindle the lights of Shabbat, and reflect on these symbols of enlightenment, kindness and peace, we remember the generations before us who lit candles as we do and found beauty and serenity in their light.
These candles connect us to the traditions and history of our past and the lives of our precious children who will light them in their own homes one day.
May they inspire us to build a better tomorrow, for all the children of the world.
Kiddush
Let us raise our cup in thanksgiving for the joys that life has to offer.
We celebrate the fruit of the vine and the bounty of nature as we lift this cup and sip its wine.
Through our search for understanding we have gained the knowledge to shape our world.
May the taste of sweet grapes upon our lips stir within us a reverence for nature and a respect for human endeavor in the week to come.
Hamotsi
The challah is often covered and the explanations are many. It is a protection against nibbling little fingers and a reminder of the importance of protecting Shabbat as a symbol of our heritage.
As the fingers of the Chalah intertwine, so are we reminded of the interconnected web of life that makes this bread possible
As we enjoy this food, thankful for health and security, we are deeply aware of the needs of all people to share in the earth’s bounty.
Tonight we step away from our daily routines and think about where we have been and where we are going.
At other times and in other places, we may feel fragile and alone. Yet here we join together, to build community, as we look with wonder at the universe and seek our place within its vastness.
To this place we come to lengthen our perspective.
To this place, we come to question and explore.
In this place we awaken our imagination.
Together we share the challenge of an ever changing world, a world often beyond our control, incomprehensible and often frightening.
Together we seek to find meaning, ease our fears and understand our purpose.
Together we share the burden and blessing of responsibility.
Tonight we join together in the safety of community.
Feel the bond of community as we celebrate this Shabbat.
We have come together to sustain our bodies, our hearts and minds.
May we never lose touch with the simple wonder of sharing a meal and ourselves.
Shabbat is a time we set aside for remembering and strengthening what is important to us.
Joyous are the people who share Shabbat.
Let us turn intent into action and make the world a better place for us all.
We conclude our service with a song that we sing together
♫ SHA-LOM CHA-VAY-REEM, ♫
SHA-LOM CHA-VAY-REEM,
SHA-LOM, SHA-LOM. SHA-LOM.
L’-HIT-RA-OT, L’-HIT-RA-OT
SHA-LOM, SHA-LOM.
Farewell friends, till we meet again)