Shabbat on Kibbutz Moran | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

Shabbat on Kibbutz Moran

By Micah Fishman

Today was our first Shabbat in Israel!  After some free time last night, we had the opportunity to sleep in or get some breakfast in the morning. Following breakfast, we spent a few hours together as a group reading the Torah portion for the week. We split into seven groups and each of the groups had a different part of the portion.

Following a break out session, each group acted out the portion in a fun way to better understand what the Torah was saying. It was a great way to kick off Shabbat as a group!

We then had a lunch of chicken schnitzel, veggies, and rice, then spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in typical Shabbat fashion. A lot of us decided to take in the sun while others napped, played soccer with other Israelis, went on a jog or just played with the local cats. Following some well deserved free time, we moved into the dining hall and played a couple more fun get to know you games and had a discussion about Jewish identities. We all really enjoyed getting to see the different experiences and perspectives on Judaism amongst the group.

Before we closed the night with Havdallah, Asaf introduced us to a fun Israeli card game. Post havdallah services outside, we drove to a small town next to the kibbutz to get dinner. We were overwhelmed with the amount of choices we had: burgers, salads, Israeli food, sushi and much more.

Back at the kibbutz now for the night, everyone is packing up as we prepare to check out and head into Tel Aviv in the morning. Shavua Tov!

Photo Credit: @illinihillel