Shabbos 250
Beginner Guide

How to keep one full Shabbos — for beginners.

A simple, calm Orthodox Shabbos guide. Start with five essentials, then walk the timeline step by step. The packet is designed so you only ever look at the section you’re up to.

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The Five Essentials

If this is your first Shabbos, focus on these five things.

1

Prepare before Shabbos

Cook food, set lights, put away your phone, and print your guide.

2

Light candles

Use your local candle lighting time. Welcome Shabbos before sunset.

3

Make Kiddush & meals

Use wine or grape juice and challah for both Shabbos meals.

4

Avoid weekday activities

No phone, driving, cooking, money, writing, or electronics.

5

End with Havdalah

Wait until Shabbos ends, then make Havdalah with wine, spices, and a candle.

Step by step

Your Shabbos, step by step

The packet is organized by time, so you only look at the section you are up to.

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  1. STEP 01

    Prepare Before Shabbos

    Cook, set lights, print, put away phone.

  2. STEP 02

    Light Candles

    Welcome Shabbos with candle lighting.

  3. STEP 03

    Friday Night Prayer

    Walk to shul, or welcome Shabbos at home.

  4. STEP 04

    Kiddush & Friday Meal

    Kiddush, wash for challah, eat together.

  5. STEP 05

    Rest Into Shabbos

    Quiet, conversation, sleep.

  6. STEP 06

    Shabbos Morning

    Shul, prayer, or learning at home.

  7. STEP 07

    Daytime Kiddush & Lunch

    Daytime Kiddush, washing, lunch.

  8. STEP 08

    Shabbos Afternoon

    Rest, learn, walk, talk, disconnect.

  9. STEP 09

    Shalosh Seudos

    A reflective third meal before sundown.

  10. STEP 10

    Wait Until Nightfall

    Stay in Shabbos until it fully ends.

  11. STEP 11

    Havdalah

    Mark the transition back to the week.

  12. STEP 12

    What Comes Next

    Choose one step to keep growing.

Shabbos in plain language

Shabbos (also spelled Shabbat) is the Jewish day of rest. It begins before sundown on Friday and ends after nightfall on Saturday. Observant Jews stop weekday activities — phones, driving, cooking, money, electronics, work — and lean into rest, prayer, learning, meals with family, and quiet conversation.

For Shabbos 250 — the nationwide invitation to keep one full Shabbos on Friday, May 15, 2026 through Saturday night, May 16, 2026 — the goal is not perfection. The goal is to enter the day calmly, keep what you can, and learn from the experience.

The simplest plan that works

  1. Find your local candle lighting and Havdalah times.
  2. Prepare on Friday before Shabbos: cook, set lights, print the packet, put away your phone.
  3. Light Shabbos candles before sundown.
  4. Make Kiddush over wine and Hamotzi over challah at both Friday night and Saturday lunch. All blessings are in the packet in Hebrew, transliteration, and English.
  5. Avoid weekday activities all the way through Saturday night until your local Havdalah time.
  6. End with Havdalah over wine, spices, and a multi-wick candle.

For specific halachic questions, contact a qualified Orthodox rabbi.

FAQ

Beginner Shabbos questions

Focus on five things: prepare before Shabbos, light candles on time, make Kiddush over wine and Hamotzi over challah for both meals, avoid weekday activities like phone use and driving, and end with Havdalah. The Shabbos 250 packet walks through each step.
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