Shabbat UK makes a real difference to our lives

NEXT WEEKEND, Shabbat UK revisits us once again. A friend of mine, the comedian Ashley Blaker, likes to joke that there are now three occasions a year when all Jews feel the need to turn up to shul: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Shabbat UK. Whether or not that is the case, there is no doubt that, in a relatively short space of time, this annual celebration of all things Shabbat, led by the Chief Rabbi, has earned a prominent place on our communal calendar. With its central aim of increasing awareness about Shabbat observance, coupled with the wonderful community spirit it engenders, as the saying goes, what’s not to like?

And yet, we still occasionally hear sceptical voices. In particular, those who question whether the whole thing is no more than a gimmick — cleverly designed in order to get more people into shul. “Does it have any staying power,” they ask. “Will people actually increase their Shabbat observance as a result? Is it really worth all that money spent on catchy ads, public events and colourful banners?”

So, as a community rabbi who has watched the evolution of this project over the past five years, let me share with you my observations on the real impact of this initiative.

Shabbat UK is obviously no magic bullet. Lasting change of any sort requires meaningful and determined effort. But what Shabbat UK has achieved is to reinstate the prominence Shabbat observance is no longer a taboo subject of Shabbat in the British Jewish mind-set. For many years, Shabbat observance had been relegated to the “traditional” box for much of mainstream British Jewry. That’s the box which contains the apple and honey for Rosh Hashanah, the Seder plate and the meal after the fast. Shabbat was nicely packaged away there, too –— respected and lovingly admired, yet not really for weekly, practical use.

Shabbat UK has swept all that away. It has enabled Jews of all backgrounds, levels of knowledge and religious observance, to achieve a renewed level of connection with this most important aspect of Jewish life.

Over these past five years, I have seen this remarkable impact reflected in many different ways. I have seen a heightened level of respect and appreciation for those who observe Shabbat every week. I have witnessed a greater openness towards Shabbat observance in general. It is no longer a taboo subject — people are genuinely interested in hearing and learning more about the benefits it can bring to their lives. And I have seen a greater affection for aspects of Shabbat that people had never experienced before, such as the joy of singing Lecha Dodi on a Friday night, or the moving havdalah ceremony at the end of the day.

But, most importantly of all, I have seen and heard stories of how people are now absorbing aspects of traditional Shabbat observance into their regular home life. It may be something as simple as making Kiddush on a Friday night. It may be making an extra effort to reduce their use of technology on Shabbat or to bring their children more regularly to shul on Shabbat morning. Whatever it is, the memories of that special weekend of Shabbat observance carries people through the rest of the year. They look forward to it — not as a one-off event, but as a moment of genuine inspirational connection to their heritage.

Meet a Jew in the street and ask him or her which day in the calendar makes them feel most Jewish, and they will probably answer Sedernight. The magic of that evening spent with family and friends, reliving and retelling the foundational story of our people is something that has warmed the hearts of Jewish people across centuries and across generations.

Now — spoiler alert — Seder-night is also effectively only an annual event. Yet no one would dismiss Seder-night as a gimmick. It provides that crucial connection to our faith and tradition, from which we draw strength throughout the year. The concept of an annual strengthening of Shabbat observance may be of much more recent origin than Seder-night. But I believe that it has demonstrated the potential to achieve for Shabbat what Seder-night achieves for Jewish tradition in general.

If you haven’t yet tasted the magic of Shabbat UK, I highly recommend getting in touch with your local community to discover what they have planned. And if someone tells you it’s just a gimmick, let them know that this rabbi has seen plenty of evidence that it really does work.

Yoni Birnbaum is the rabbi of Hadley Wood Synagogue