A group of young Jews from the U.S. who are studying Hebrew and Judaism in Jerusalem for a year, celebrate Shabbat together with songs, prayers, food and drink. Shabbat is the Jewish name for Sabbath and is observed each week from Friday at 6 p.m. to Saturday at 6 p.m. It is taken from the ‘seventh day’ in the Torah where God rested after creating the earth. To the outsider, it might appear conservative and Orthodox Jews take this time to the extreme. Observing Shabbat might include halting any type of work—driving, cooking and cleaning. At 6 p.m., all work stops, even if they are in the middle of doing something. In traditional homes, meals are prepared in advance of Shabbat so nothing needs to be done during the day and clean up is done once it is over.
