Every Friday evening, as the sun sets, Jewish people around the world welcome in Shabbat. In my own life, I have always seen Shabbat dinner as a peaceful tradition rooted in family laughter and ritual. But after attending Perlman’s Kallah this summer, Shabbat for me became more than a moment at home. It turned into a bridge: linking me to my friends thousands of miles away.

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Growing up, Friday nights were always special to me. I looked forward to partaking in all the traditions and spending time with friends and family. Over the years, I became busier, and all the traditions I had once loved suddenly seemed unimportant. During Kallah, I saw these same traditions shared by my peers, each with its own unique spin.

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After camp, I realized Shabbat was a great way to keep in touch with the friends I made during Kallah. Even with Shabbat ending at different times and different costumes, I could still rely on having someone to talk to at the end of this sacred time. When I left Kallah, I didn’t just take home memories - I took home a new way of looking at Shabbat. Now I wanted to share how some of my friends from around the world make Shabbat their own:

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Shabbat In Israel With Ari Weisman 🇮🇱

One of my favorite things about Israel is the community. I am currently a seminary student in Israel, and 3 out of 4 of my Shabbatot a month are what we call “Out Shabbos,” meaning I have the opportunity to leave midrasha and spend Shabbat across the country. It is very normal for families to welcome seminary and yeshiva students and other guests each week. This past Shabbos, I spent in Modi’in, a community about 30 minutes outside Jerusalem. My friend and I stayed with my grandparents' friend's son and his family, whom I had never met before. In many cases, this would be a strange situation, but in Israel, it is the norm. Unlike in America, in Israel, Fridays are a day off and Sundays are a work day, meaning all day Friday, and even starting Thursday, you can feel Shabbos coming in. Flower shops start popping up, strangers wish you Shabbat Shalom as you pass on the street, and fresh challah is available at every bakery. I cannot emphasize enough how you really feel Shabbos and all the holidays here.

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Shabbat in the US with Mel Franklin 🇺🇸

To me, Shabbat is not just the end of my week, but a mindset. To me, Shabbat is a time of the week in which the nonstop craziness of school and my social calendar just pauses. Everything pauses in life, and you can stop and slow down amid the busyness to take a moment to think about what family, friends, and rest mean to you. Shabbat is a time in which you are able to connect with your Jewish self in a way like no other. You can put aside the distraction of technology, and for the day to come, you can truly be unplugged. This freedom of not being bound to technology is what makes Shabbat so meaningful to me. At Perlman, I kept Shabbat for the first time. Despite the struggle, it was surprisingly meaningful. Being fully present in Shabbat — thinking and asking the difficult questions — was something I had never experienced before. To me, keeping shabbat is about trying new things, asking new questions, and exploring the things that scare you because you just might find meaning in the uncertainty.

Shabbat in Columbia with Judith Halstash 🇨🇴

In Colombia, we all celebrate Shabbat every week: we go to synagogue, share dinners with family and friends, and spend the day together. Even when we want to go somewhere on Friday night, we first have dinner with our families and then go out. For me, Shabbat is a time to pause, catch up with the people I love, and enjoy their company. It’s when I take a break from responsibilities and appreciate the community around me, so I can start the new week with positive energy. It’s also a moment to reflect on everything that happened during the week and feel grateful. No matter how busy life gets, Shabbat always brings me back and grounds me.

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Through these small rituals, I’m reminded that friendships don't fade with distance. Shabbat to me has no longer become just a Friday night meal, but my weekly way of saying “you’re still here with me , no matter where you are.

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