This past weekend, I completed my third fully shomer Shabbat: no technology, no driving – the whole deal. Keeping Shabbos is an ideal that I’ve been working towards for the past few months. Now that I’ve observed a few “full” Shabboses and begun to truly appreciate their value, I feel inspired to share my reflections and hopefully inspire others to find meaning at any level of Shabbat practice.
Like many, I previously viewed Shabbat as an inconvenient interruption to the week that was composed of unnecessary restrictions and alienated us from our non-Jewish friends, colleagues, and peers. However, my perception of Shabbat has completely transformed from something that is restrictive and isolating to something liberating and sacred. For 25 hours each week, you are completely detached from the burdens and worries of daily life and the outside world, allowing you to redirect your finite focus and energy toward far more valuable aspects: family, community, and faith. Free from the persistent temptation of my phone or the academic guilt of needing to complete homework over the weekend, I have time to connect with my family and loved ones, read both school-related and non-school-related books in my stack, and simply take a breath.
Shabbat is truly a G-d-given gift: a time to reset and reflect on the past week before beginning the new one. In the modern, secular world, where we are often consumed by work and school, it is vital to dedicate at least one day a week to our spiritual needs, nurturing a happy and well-balanced life that the Torah is a blueprint for. As Rabbi Sacks said in his Letters to the Next Generation, “On Shabbat we celebrate the things that are important but not urgent: the love between husband and wife, and between parents and children. The bonds of belonging. The story of which we are a part. The community that we support and that supports us in times of joy or grief. These are the ingredients of happiness.”
During Chabad’s Sinai Scholars program this past Fall Quarter, I learned about Jewish practice in a way that ultimately inspired me to become more Shabbat-observant. Sinai Scholars was an incredibly meaningful and memorable experience all around. It is an eight-lesson course on “Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life” led by our UCLA Chabad Rabbi Dovid Gurevich. The classes are small-group and discussion-based, meeting just two hours a week at the UCLA Chabad House. Not only did it teach us valuable spiritual lessons in the traditional classroom setting, but it provided opportunities to apply what we learned into real life and participate in live Judaism, such as the amazing Shabbaton and field trip. Sinai Scholars also fostered the development of deep and meaningful friendships based on a shared appreciation for and commitment to implementing Judaism into our lives. Overall, I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of this course and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in deepening their connection with and understanding of our Jewish identity.
Regardless of where you fall on the religious spectrum, perhaps try to implement some aspect of Shabbat into your life this week. Whether it be lighting Shabbos candles (for women) or attending Friday night dinner (links to on-campus options below!), try to do one thing to honor Hashem and Shabbos this week. My personal 2025 resolution is to adhere to keeping Shabbos even when school gets stressful and the work piles up. If that means I also need to develop better time management skills during the week, then that’s two beneficial resolutions in one.
The beauty of Shabbat is just one of many valuable lessons taught by Rabbi Gurevich through the Sinai Scholars program. Apply to the Winter 2025 session here! You truly can’t regret it.
Helpful Links:
● Link to apply to Sinai Scholars Winter 2025 Session: https://www.sinaischolars.com/index.html?task=location&lid=10884
● Link to info/RSVP form for Friday Night Dinners at UCLA:
○ Chabad:
■ Shabbat at Chabad (https://student.chabadoncampus.org/jewcla/rsvp/events/29635#)
■ Instagram: @jewcla
○ Hillel:
■ https://www.uclahillel.org/student_events
■ Instagram: @hillelatucla
○ Olami:
■ Instagram: @olamiucla
○ JLIC:
■ Instagram: @oujlicucla
● Link to Shabbat Candle Lighting Time: https://www.chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting_cdo/locationId/1481/locationType/1/jewish/Candle-Lighting.htm
Cover Image: WikiMedia Commons
