Friday and Saturday Shabbat Services
Neveh Shalom offers several Shabbat service options to meet the needs of our diverse community. See the sections below for more information about each one.
Upcoming Special Shabbat Events
Friday Nights
Kabbalat Shabbat
1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th Fridays, 6:15 pm
Join our clergy for a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat service where we weave together ancient and modern melodies as we celebrate Shabbat.
Simcha Shabbat
1st Friday of the month, 6:15 pm
Those with a birthday or anniversary in the month being celebrated will receive a blessing by the clergy at this special Kabbalat Shabbat service and a piece of cake after!
Shabbat on the Plaza
Fridays, June – August, 6:15 pm
Shabbat on the Plaza offers an outdoor, spiritual service in the beauty of the Holzman Plaza, followed by a fun-themed dinner, signature drinks, and time for Kehillah. It’s a space for contemplation, inspiration, and connection, designed to nurture both the spirit and community ties.
Kol Shabbat – Voice of Shabbat
Third Fridays, November – May, 7:00 pm
Join our “voices only” Erev Shabbat service. This later service allows us to slow down and ease into Shabbat together.
Fourth Fridays at Rabbi Posen’s House, Ages 0-10
4th Friday of the month
September – May
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Come to Rabbi Posen’s home for casual singing and dancing fun to welcome Shabbat followed by a potluck Shabbat dinner. Best suited for families with children up to age 10. Fourth Friday from September to May at 5:30pm.
RSVP: eposen@nevehshalom.org.
Saturday Mornings
Shabbat Morning Service
Every Saturday, 9:30am
Traditional weekly Shabbat morning service.
- Meditation Shabbat, 1st Saturdays
- Learner’s Shabbat, 4th Saturdays
Downstairs Minyan or Combined Minyan
2nd, 4th, and 5th Saturdays, 9:30am*
A lay-led alternate Shabbat service in Zidell Chapel followed by a Kiddush lunch and singing of z’mirot. *When there is no Bar/Bat Mitzvah or special Shabbat programming, Downstairs Minyan will join the main service at 9:30am.
Youth and Family Services
All families are welcome to attend any of our regular services. In addition, we have a number of age specific Shabbat morning services for young families and youth. Click here for these services.
More About Shabbat
Shabbat (Hebrew for Sabbath) is the Jewish day of rest and symbolizes the day of rest after six days of creation. Shabbat starts at sundown Friday and ends at sundown Saturday. It’s traditionally a time to take a break from regular activities, to spend time with family and friends, and to attend synagogue. Observant Jews refrain from using electricity, driving cars, writing and working on Shabbat. Many Conservative Jews adapt these customs to fit their own level of observance.
The Shabbat morning service at our synagogue is similar to services at synagogues around the world. Neveh Shalom is part of Judaism’s Conservative movement (called Masorti outside North America), which one could say is “middle of the road.” Conservative Jews keep many traditional practices (such as observing Shabbat and keeping kosher) while adapting customs and rituals to reflect the times in which we live. Also helpful to keep in mind is that Neveh Shalom is a fully egalitarian synagogue, meaning men and women share the same roles and responsibilities.
Most of the service is chanted Hebrew, with a few English sections, and there’s lots of singing throughout the service. If you’re not familiar with Hebrew texts, you may notice that the prayer book seems “backwards,” since Hebrew goes from right to left. The rabbi will call out page numbers as we move through the service. The prayer book (or siddur) is in Hebrew and has both English translations and some transliteration Hebrew words written in English) of the prayers.
There are several times during the service when the rabbi will ask the congregation to stand or sit; it’s pretty easy to follow along.
On Saturday mornings, there are four main parts to the service:
- During Psukei D’zimra (around 9:15am to 9:30am), we chant psalms and prayers that help warm up for the rest of the service.
- The Shacharit section (around 9:30 to 10:00) includes the Sh’ma, a selection from the book of Deuteronomy that is a central part of every morning and evening Jewish prayer service, and the Amidah, a time for silent prayer and meditation.
- The Torah Service will start around 10:00. It’s customary for Jews to kiss the Torah as it passes them. The Torah is divided into weekly portions, and the entire Torah is read during the course of the Jewish year. The same portion is read in synagogues around the world. Several family members and congregants will be honored with an aliyah and say blessings before each section of the Torah is read. After the Torah is read, the Haftarah, which this week is a selection from the book of Judges is read. After the Torah service, there is an explanation of the Torah portion (d’var Torah).
- The final service of the morning is Musaf, the concluding service.
If there is a bar or bat mitzvah, the bat/bar mitzvah student will lead some parts of the service, and other parts will be led by clergy and lay people. For more information, a helpful website for basic knowledge about Judaism is My Jewish Learning.
