~ Shabbat is Coming !! ~

Shabbat starts on Friday evening & goes through to Saturday evening, with people coming & going at times to suit themselves, particularly Saturdays.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

I think the strongest thing about your poem is the expression of Jewish Faith and traditions .. I had to look up Shabatt and my morning is a bonus of enrichment because of it .. the form and rhyme suit the theme in my opinion .. some of the syntax is not quite how i hear your "voice" speaking .. ie "...restful recoups." and "Familiar folks will arrive, and some will farewell" .... rhyme, rhythm and syntax are always the bugger in a structured poem eh!? i love the family uniting, the festive aura of special foods and the candles lighting .. i can imagine the scene very well ... tho i have never participated in the flavor of Jewish Sabbat ...your poem puts me there ... the day of rest is something most have forgotten or at best sort of rest .. ;) great stuff in your poem...i see the Bread of Lifer in it
E.

[Carola]

hi kitty, thanks for you review. i agree with you that syntax can be difficult at times.
i used a bit of poetic licence, so instead of writing 'recouping rest' (after a working week) i wrote restful recoups, make it rhyme.
'Familiar folks will arrive, and some will farewell' ie. people you know coming & others going. i think i will drop the first 'will' it'll sound better then.

a bit about shabbat -- it's basically the centrepiece of jewish life - prayer rituals, food, conversation, drinking, often singing, kids running around playing, some people read, people doing their own thing & it can be quite noisy. people don't all arrive & leave at the same time. the 'tone & flavour' of a chabad house depends entirely on the rabbi running it.
shabbat starts a few minutes before sunset on friday night & concludes about an hour after sunset on saturday night, so about 25 hours, with any work strictly forbidden during shabbat (ie. cooking, cleaning, no TV, no using the phone, etc.)
at home it's a gathering of family & maybe friends or guests. in a chabad house which is a community place & often the local rabbi's house & is generally for the local jewish community & often people visiting from interstate or overseas. not everyone there is religious quite a few secular jews & sometimes noahides (non-jews who follow the 7 noahide laws)

[Einstein Noodle]

how very interesting ... the importance of family in community comes across strong ...are most that strict? no phones???

[Carola]

sorry einstein, i've just noticed i addressed your last review as kitty!!!
yes the orthodox jews don't answer/use the phone during the 25 hours or so of shabbat.
i consider myself to be secular, but i dislike answering the phone anyway no matter which day it is !! so my husband answers it.
i don't mind sending /receiving texts which i can do at my leisure, but when you answer the phone you've got to stop what you're currently doing just to answer it - so i don't bother. i just let the answer machine do it's job if hubby isn't around!

[Einstein Noodle]

:) ......... my kids and step kids would come to enjoy an afternoon barbecue and sit around texting 90% of the time .. the crazy thing is that they were texting each other ... so i started confiscating all phones when they came over ;) they were good spots about it but did suffer withdrawal

[kitty]

United and caring community. this is something that the whole world should strive for. Blessings my 'sister!'

[Coyote Poetry]

The poem is wonderful. Hopeful words took reader with you to a happy place and celebration. Thank you Carola for sharing the amazing poetry. I liked this one.
Coyote

[Neville]

You conjour up splendid images of great and joyous celebration, full of warmth and laughter... I am not familiar with many of the dishes you mention, but love food and would be more than happy to help with any left overs...... I am truly happy that through your kind visit to my page, I have found yours & you... All Good Things and True....... Neville

[Verse]

That sounds like a lot of fun, an entire community restitching, rekindling, and maybe even creating something new on this festive and holy occasion.:):)

La Chaim! (From one of my sisters-in-law)

V