NARRATOR

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day God rested. Known in Hebrew as Shabbat, this most celebrated of holy days is the Jewish Sabbath. It is a day set aside to rest; to leave behind work,   It is a time a time to read, reflect, to be with family and friends, and yes, most significantly, it involves bread.

NARRATOR AND DANCERS AT TABLE ALL STAND UP AND

LIGHT CANDLES, MOVING HANDS OVER CANDLES AND COVERING FACE

Traditionally women bring the Sabbath into their homes by lighting candles and chanting a special blessing just before sundown on Friday, and the holiday ends at the sight of the first three stars on Saturday night.

BAND (ALL MUSICIANS) PLAY CANDLE PRAYER

SINGER CHANTS BLESSING

BAND (ONE MUSICIAN)  SOFT UNDERSCORE LECHA DODI

DANCERS: SLOWLY PANTOMIME MYSTICS IN THE FIELD LOOKING AHEAD FOR THE BRIDE, THEN FACING THE AUDIENCE RADIENT

NARRATOR

Centuries ago, in Israel, Jewish mystics, descendants of the Jews from Codoba, all dressed in white for purity, and walked into the open fields before the sunset to greet the arrival of the Sabbath. They pictured the Sabbath as a beautiful bride or queen.  Jews today still greet the Shabbat with the Lecha Dodi, the same song the mystics sang.

BAND (ALL MUSICIANS) AND SINGER:  Lecha Dodi

DANCERS: Hora and Joyous Dancing

(DANCERS RETURN TO TABLE)

DANCERS AND CHILDREN SIT AT DINNER TABLE: CHILDREN ON THEIR LAPS OR ARMS EMBRACING DEPICTING WARM FAMILY

NARRATOR

The holy lights of the Sabbath candles and Sabbath prayers create a feeling of warmth in the home, as friends and family gather by the soft glow of candlelight to share a dinner.  We begin by singing a song called Shalom Aleichem. That greets the angels that accompany the Sabbath bride bringing her blessing of peace into our homes

Band (ALL MUSICIANS) AND SINGER:  SHALOM ALEICHEM

Dancers: “Angel Dance”

NARRATOR

On every table, covered with a cloth, are two loaves of bread called challah.

She points to challah for all to see.

SOFT MUSIC UNDERSCORES FOLLOWING SECTION

In ancient times Jews carried bread offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem to thank God for the food they received. challah refers to a portion of the bread the people brought to the temple. To this day when a Jewish woman bakes bread  she throws a small piece of the dough into the fire as a reminder of this offering.

If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Numbers 13:27