Simplicity and Jachnun: Leah Shabbat's Shabbat

Shabbat Is... Sacred Atmosphere and Shared Moments

“To me, Shabbat is about being together with friends. I go to the neighborhood synagogue and later sit outside with my neighbors. When Shabbat comes in, you can actually feel the holiness in the air, the quiet, the atmosphere—it’s all so peaceful.”

What’s your typical Shabbat schedule?
“Every Friday I go to my parents’ house—it’s a tradition. Later in the day, I usually invite friends over for Friday night dinner. And on Shabbat morning, we start the day with jachnun.

Every week in our neighborhood, there’s a scheduled Tehillim (Psalms) reading. It’s quite special to recite Tehillim together with the women from my neighborhood, who are all so lovely in their simplicity and modesty. I really live among good, down-to-earth people.”

A Synagogue with Soul

“My synagogue is just up the street from where I live in Hod HaSharon. It’s a Yemenite synagogue, run by a man named Zechariah. There’s a small women’s section, but it’s warm and welcoming. The kids often run around and play in the yard.

I’m originally from Yehud, where there are lots of Yemenites, so the Yemenite prayer style is familiar to me. Honestly, it’s really interesting and uplifting to listen to.”

Small Traditions That Make a Big Impact

What do you read on Shabbat?
“I actually don’t read much in general, but when I do, it’s Tehillim. Right now I’m also reading Lev HaOlam Ata by Rabbi Erez Moshe Doron.”

How do you spend time with extended family?
“We get together at my parents’ house on Friday afternoons, but I don’t usually spend the entire Shabbat there.”

Something you do only on Shabbat?
“Make jachnun! I only started preparing it in recent years. It took a while until it came out tasty. But the smell in the morning, it really adds to the Shabbat feeling.”

What’s the first thing you do after Shabbat ends?
“I turn on my phone to see if I missed any calls. That’s it. Just easing back into daily life."