- Think of a place where Jews have been,
and you'll find a Shabbat ceremony.
The Amazon jungle? Shabbat.
Mount Everest? Shabbat.
Outer space? Yep, Jews have kept Shabbat there, too.
For communities all over the world,
keeping Shabbat is one of the most important parts of being Jewish.
The food might be different,
the language could be different,
even the time of day might be different,
depending on when the sun sets.
There could be dozens of people
or it might just be a cozy family dinner.
Yet, no matter where you go,
the core rituals will always be the same.
Jews all over the world will light candles,
say "hamotzi" and begin their day of rest.
But why are these rituals so important?
Why do Jews around the world go to such great lengths
to keep them going?
And why are Shabbat rituals, in particular,
such a defining part of being Jewish?
In the Ten Commandments,
keeping Shabbat is number four, a pretty prominent spot,
right below the ground rules for believing in God.
The point is for Jews to rest, unwind,
and give thanks for everything God's given us.
It's an ancient idea,
one that we still enjoy today, every weekend.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel called Judaism a religion
that emphasizes the sanctification of time,
and called Shabbat a castle in time
"that neither the Romans nor the Germans were able to burn."
When you look back in history,
there are plenty of eras when entire Jewish communities
only survived because they adapted to...
let's say, less than ideal circumstances.
During the Spanish Inquisition,
crypto-Jews, Jews who practiced in secret,
kept celebrating Shabbat and the high holidays,
even though they'd be killed if anyone found out.
They would light candles on Friday nights
and quietly keep kosher,
some even fried up bread and milk
that were shaped to look like pork chops,
so that their neighbors wouldn't get suspicious.
These recipes and traditions
would get passed down for generations,
until their modern-day descendants figured out
the meaning behind their quirky family traditions.
During the Holocaust, some Jews memorized Shabbat prayers
to recite from inside concentration camps,
and forged candles out of margarine.
After liberation, a few survivors said
this is what helped keep them going through all the horror.
The early Zionist leader, Ahad Ha'am, once said,
"More than Jews have kept Shabbat,
Shabbat has kept the Jews."
By engaging in these rituals,
especially the weekly tradition of Shabbat,
these Jews held onto their identities,
even when it meant risking their lives.
Today, Shabbat forces a rhythm into our lives.
It's easy to get lost in the chaos of modern life,
but Shabbat gives us time to pause,
unplug, and be mindful about what really matters.
This is true of every Jewish ritual.
All these holidays and traditions
let us carve out time to clear our heads
and focus on something bigger than ourselves,
whether we're building Sukkot, putting on tallit,
or even doing something as simple
as saying a blessing before eating.
More and more psychological studies prove
that rituals of all kinds help us reduce anxiety,
think more deeply and solve problems faster.
Jews have understood this for millennia.
When the outside world feels unpredictable,
rituals ground us.
Rituals also distinguish a Jewish life
from a non-Jewish one.
Thinking you're Jewish is all well and good,
but acting Jewish is really what it's all about.
It's true that a lot of Jewish laws define what we don't do,
we don't mix milk and meat, or, you know, commit murder.
But just as important are the actions we do perform,
the regular rituals, prayers and traditions.
Rituals are an accessible way for anyone to feel Jewish.
Not everyone can be a Torah scholar,
but anyone can light a menorah.
By keeping these traditions,
Jews can tap into the spiritual core of Judaism.
We become another unbreakable link
in an ancient chain of ancestry.
And on top of that, in the U.S. and Israel,
millennial Jews, who often feel the least religious,
are still keen on upholding formal Jewish customs.
For non-observant Jews,
just lighting a candle and drinking wine on Friday night
can connect them with their Jewish heritage.
Because in the end, rituals are what bind us.
They allow us to echo the actions
of our grandparents and great-grandparents.
These customs evolve differently in each community,
but the core tenets have been unchanged for centuries.
That consistency has kept the Jewish people united
and thriving for generations,
and will keep our culture alive for generations to come.
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