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Shabbat includes celebrations in the home and the synagogue,
and there are many things that families can do together
to prepare for it each week and set the mood during
its actual celebration. You may wish to try some of
the following suggestions with your own family:
- Decorate the Shabbat table with fresh flowers or
handmade paper decorations to increase the air of festivity.
- Put coins in a tzedakah (charity) box each week before
Shabbat begins. When the box is full, have the family
decide together on an appropriate cause to which the
money can be donated. Some like to empty all the small
change from their pockets before putting on Shabbat
clothes.
- Read Shabbat stories and discuss them as a family.
- Invite guests to share Shabbat meals with your family.
Hospitality has always been an important value in Judaism.
- Eat at a leisurely and relaxed pace, and always try
to include z'mirot (Shabbat songs) during your
meals.
- Have someone read a new psalm from
the Book of Psalms and briefly discuss it as a family
at the beginning of the Friday evening meal.
- Use your time on Shabbat afternoon to take a nap
or read and study Jewish texts such as Pirkei Avot
or Sefer Hahinnukh. You may also wish to take
a family walk on Shabbat.
- Bake Shabbat challot as a family project.
- Play one of the many stimulating and entertaining games
that are linked to Shabbat with your
family.
Bible Charade game:
Purpose
To re-enact famous expressions and events in the Bible.
Materials Needed
a. Biblical expressions or events related to the Torah
or Haftorah portion of the week.
b. A watch with a second hand for timing the charade.
Instructions
a. Divide the players into two teams. Give the first
player on team 1 the first charade. That player will
have two minutes to present non-verbal clues in order
to get his/her team to correctly identify the expression
or event.
b. If a correct identification is made, that team receives
ten points. If no identification is made within the
two-minute time limitation, then one point is awarded
to the team for each correctly identified word.
c. Present each team in turn with different Biblical
expressions or events. The team with the most points
at the end of a designated number of plays wins.
Note: It is suggested that no expression or event
used in this game exceed seven words in length.
Here are some sample charades that can be used with
the Torah portion of Genesis (chaps. 1-5):
a. Adam was created on the sixth day.
b. On the seventh day God rested.
c. God said: "Let there be light."
d. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
e. Eve gave the apple to Adam. 
Adapted from Sacred
Celebrations: A Jewish Holiday Handbook
By Ronald H. Isaacs and Kerry M. Olitzky
Ktav Publishing House
Hoboken, New Jersey, 1994.
Pages 38-40
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