Bring Shabbat Home

Throughout Jewish history, the center of religious life has been the Jewish home.  There has been a lapse in that tradition in the FSU due to the discontinuity in Jewish spiritual life and the government-imposed ban on religion during much of the 20th century.  Part of the organizational mission of the Institute is to recreate the Jewish home as the primary source of spiritual inspiration and religious observance.

Bring Shabbat Home is a major initiative aimed at home-based Jewish practice by encouraging the Jews of the FSU to transform Friday night into Shabbat.  Jewish leaders trained by the Institute teach members of their respective communities about the laws of the holy Seventh Day and help them hold festive Shabbat meals in their homes.  The Institute has also published and distributed a Russian-language "Bring Shabbat Home" booklet to guide families through the rituals, traditions, and customs of Shabbat and its observance.  Through this program, hundreds of people across the FSU have infused their homes with the holiness of Shabbat and enhanced their level of Jewish observance.