For a more complete explanation of the customs, rituals, and blessings, go to our Shabbat Cheat Sheet and see our resources, including the booklets Shabbat Made Easy, Havdalah and Shabbat: What To Expect At A Synagogue.

Additional External Resources for Shabbat

• Falk, Marcia. The Book of Blessings. New York: Harper Collins, 1996.
  A completely untraditional, innovative rereading of Jewish liturgy, emphasizing the immanence of God in nature.
• Gimbel, Jeremy. Birkon Mikdash Me’at: NFTY’s Bencher. New York: URJ Press, 2005.
  The Reform youth movement booklet with the grace after meals, blessings and Hebrew songs popular in the Reform movement.
• Haruni, Mike and Munishor, Phillip. The Nevarech Bencher. Jerusalem: Israel Observer Publications, 1999.
  A booklet with the grace after meals, blessings and Hebrew songs, featuring color photographs as illustrations and clear, easy to read translation.
• Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1975.
  This is a classic work of Jewish theology. You can read an excerpt, “Shabbat as a Sanctuary in Time,” here
• Olivestone, David. The NCSY Bencher. New York: Artscroll Publications, 1993.
  This is the Orthodox youth movement booklet with the grace after meals, blessings and Hebrew songs, featuring a very complete transliteration.
• Shabbat on Ritualwell.org.
  Articles about personal practice from a feminist spiritual perspective.
• Wolfson, Ron. The Shabbat Seder. Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002.
  Everything you need to know to observe Shabbat. This book has an accompanying booklet with prayers for use at your table.

Return to the Guide to Shabbat and Havdalah for Interfaith Families.