Shabbat Shalom!

Take a look at this dinner table. All the food in these 10 plus casserole dishes is fresh and homemade. Nothing less would due, because tonight is a special night.

Tonight, friends and family gather together, just like they have each Friday night for the past.. well... 2,000 years. Talk about tradition!

The Jewish 'day of rest' known as 'Shabbat' begins this evening.  Starting Friday afternoon, all stores and public transportation close down until Shabbat ends the following evening.

A typical Friday afternoon is thus spent stocking up on groceries to last through the weekend... perhaps going to the market and then gathering with loved ones for dinner (and in my case, taking a cab home afterwards because there are no buses running!) ;)

And of course, its not Shabbat without hearing the familiar Friday blessing from strangers and friends alike: "Shabbat Shalom" which essentially means, "Peaceful Shabbat." ;)