Comments (0)The Shabbat Table
Making the weekly celebration a family tradition
October 2009Written By Linda Esterson
For the Richmonds, Shabbat is “huge.”
Not only is it the culmination of the week for Jews around the world and a celebration of creation, but for this Owings Mills family, it is the focus of the week. And much of the focus, naturally, is the menu.
Tyler Richmond, 4 1/2, says his favorite part of Shabbat is “sitting at the table and eating.” Drew Richmond, 3, adds his most valued moments are “meatballs and grandpa.”
Each week, Kari and Sandy Richmond host Kari’s parents, Judy and Bob Rothenberg, and her grandmother, Selma Rothenberg. Sometimes Sandy’s mother, Maxine Richmond, joins them. Often, another family, also with young children, can be found at the table as well.
The Shabbat meal is special for the Richmonds. Sometimes it’s the only meal of the week when the entire family dines together. (Sandy, director of the Lyric Opera House, often arrives home after the children have eaten.)
“One of the main reasons we have Shabbat dinner is because it’s special,” says Kari, 33. “It does give us family time to sit down and it’s definitely something we look forward to.”
For Shabbat, the T-shirts and shorts are put away and everyone dresses “a little nicer” than every day. And the preparations and meal certainly follow suit.
On Thursdays, the kids know the holiday is near as they help to straighten the house for their guests. Kari and the boys further the preparations by setting the table, making sure to include the candles and their Kiddush cups, which were given to the kids by family members when they were born. They bake sweets, anything from Jewish apple cake, cannolis and éclairs to cake and brownie mixes — all provide great fun for the boys, who always get to “lick the bowl clean.”
On Fridays, the little ones also help with the main and side dishes, which usually include plain pasta and “Nutty Chicken Fingers” and “Grandma’s Meatballs.” They love to peel potatoes and form the meatballs.
Both Kari and Sandy observed Shabbat as children and felt it important to pass the tradition on to their offspring. “It’s ingrained in my memory,” says Sandy, who recalls Shabbat dinner at his grandparents’ home nearly every week where he would see aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives visiting from out of town.
“I’m glad we are able to do it. I think it’s important. Not many people are doing it consistently these days,” he says.
Often, the Richmonds reach out to other Jewish Community Center families and invite them. Their children share in the rituals they learn at the JCC preschool, from prayers to songs such as “Shabbat Is Here,” and apply them to their own Shabbat dinners.
“It’s neat to see our son understand what Shabbat is and be excited about being able to see that something that’s religiously significant can bring together the family,” Sandy says. “It’s significant to do something that reminds our kids they are Jewish.”
The mini-service at the Richmonds consists of the traditional prayers and songs commemorating the holy day. The children lead the prayers and the singing.
Then they eat.
