How One Man Honors Tradition in a Modern World

Shabbat Is My Weekly Pause Button
“If the days of the week were a book,” he says, “then Shabbat would be the punctuation, and the holidays would be the periods. And you can’t read a book without punctuation.”

For Tel Aviv resident Kobi Oz, Shabbat is far more than a day off from work. It’s a day of calm, reflection, and quiet sanctity. It’s a time to disconnect from the noise of the world and reconnect with meaning, memory, and personal ritual.

Every Friday night, his routine begins with a virtual candlelighting ceremony online. He updates his profile pictures on Facebook and Café DeMarker to feature challah and Shabbat candles. “I want people who are browsing the internet on Shabbat to get a small taste of holiness; a reminder that today is not like every other day.”

Sacred Routines, from White Slippers to Special Coffee
After his partner lights the candles at home, he changes into his white Shabbat clothes, including elegant white slippers reserved just for this day. Then, it’s off to his mother’s house, where he recites Kiddush and makes the “hamotzi” blessing over bread. The meal features steaming Tunisian couscous with special meatballs called boulettes.

His Shabbat morning begins with a peaceful, natural wake-up, no alarm clocks. Even his coffee has a Shabbat upgrade: gourmet instant coffee in a special mug and even a special tube of high-end toothpaste used only on Shabbat morning.

He avoids all rush and urgency. “I never wear a watch on Shabbat, and of course I don’t work. I try to make every step feel lighter.” He also sets aside time to read the weekly Torah portion and explore commentaries he finds meaningful.

Tel Aviv Becomes My Synagogue
Instead of attending a traditional synagogue, he connects with the Divine in the quiet streets of Tel Aviv. “Just before the city transforms into a hub of parties and chaos, there’s a magical silence,” he explains. “That’s my moment. I stroll through the boulevards, and in the silence I feel Hashem hears me. I talk to Him. Not in a formal way, but personally, because He’s resting on Shabbat too.”

For spiritual reading, he turns to Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), choosing one teaching to memorize and carry with him throughout the week. He also reads the parshah (Torah portion) and occasionally dips into the Talmud.

He recalls a famous story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who emerged from a cave after 13 years of Torah study and encountered a simple Jew carrying two myrtle branches for Shabbat. When asked why two, the man replied, “One for ‘Remember’ and one for ‘Guard’”—two aspects of Shabbat mentioned in the Ten Commandments.

“That story speaks to me,” he says. “Like that man, I honor Shabbat in my own way, with heart, meaning, and consistency.”

When Shabbat Ends, the Spirit Carries Me Forward
As soon as Shabbat is over, he logs on and sends out a “Shavua Tov” (Good Week) message to his thousands of online friends and chooses a “Song of the Week” to mark the transition. “In the future,” he adds, “I hope to start doing a proper havdalah (ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat), like my grandfather used to.”