Shabbat Shalom שבת שלום

As the week winds down, here’s your gentle reminder to pause.

Not because everything is done — but because you deserve a moment to breathe.

To unplug.

To be present.

To trade doing for just being.

Whether you light candles, take a walk, share a meal, or sit quietly with your thoughts — let this be your reset.

A time to reconnect with yourself, your people, and what truly matters.

Wishing you peace, calm, and a full heart this weekend.

Shabbat Shalom to all who could use a little stillness and light.

Shabbat Shalom

This week felt like a marathon.

So much happening, so many emotions, and honestly, I barely had time to catch my breath.

But now, here comes the pause — this built-in moment to step back, exhale, and just be.

No matter how the week went — whether it was productive or chaotic, uplifting or exhausting — this pause arrives, untouched by everything that came before it.

A reset.

A reminder that we are more than what we accomplish, more than the worries we carry.

So as the Shabbat enters, I’m embracing the quiet, letting a warm glow fill the space.

A small moment, but powerful enough to shift everything.

I hope you find a moment to unplug, to breathe deeply, and to soak in the peace that this time brings.

Shabbat Shalom, with love,
Inbal

From Reboot:
This week, we invite you to join us - from sundown March 7 to sundown March 8, 2025 - in putting down your screens to rediscover the beauty of real-life moments.

The Global Day of Unplugging isn’t just about turning off your phone—it’s about turning on your senses, your creativity, and your connections with the world around you.

Ready to reclaim your time? Find out more from ReBoot: https://rebooting.com/article/unplugging2025/

Read more about the Unplug Collaborative: https://www.globaldayofunplugging.org/

#shabbat #menu this week

Store bought desserts and challah, sorry!

But also sheet pan schawarma with “halal truck” white sauce

And a “bit of this, bit of that” stew

I got a lovely brisket in my meat order but saving that for Pesach [Passover]

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More Challah. Less h@te.

Shabbat Shalom שבת שלום

Shabbat Terumah Shekalim begins at 17:24 in London today. We will mark the end of our 85th anniversary year, and it is also the HIAS-JCORE Refugee Shabbat (appropriately for us as a Shul founded by refugees).

Plus it's the first of March, so Ilana Banana will lead the Kikar Kids service.

Shabbat shalom to everyone.

https://hiasjcore.org/what/refugee-shabbat/

"Like many in my community, my #Jewish upbringing was purely #Bukharian. We ate #bakhsh on #Shabbat, danced in the traditional joma during celebrations and held annual #yushuvos — memorial dinners — for my late grandfathers. While I was exposed to #Ashkenazi traditions in high school, I never quite had meaningful interactions with #Sephardim outside of my community — that is, until I became a #Sephardi House Fellow at the #American Sephardi Federation (ASF)."

https://www.heyalma.com/finding-a-sephardic-jewish-community-changed-my-world/

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Yitro begins at 16:58 in London today. Shabbat shalom to everyone.

Shabbat Shalom שבת שלום

Three more hostages are home.

And it’s heartbreaking.

Seeing them, my mind go straight to Holocaust survivors.

My heart shatters at what they’ve been through.

But they are free.

And to some extent, so are their families.

I hope that future days and Shabbats bring them more light, more healing, and more peace.

And for all of us, too.

Shabbat Shalom שבת שלום

I've never been a good pastry chef. Cooking is an art, but baking is a science, lol.

I imagine, though, that some of you are great bread and pastry bakers.

It's unfortunate they've chosen to require entries to be posted to Instagram instead making a Pixelfed account. But if you haven't yet made the switch, you can find more info here:
https://lilith.org/2023/02/make-your-very-own-uterus-challah-this-shabbat/

To order challah or other patries: https://shop.challahbackgirls.com/collections/current-challah-selection

Shabbat Beshalach starts at 16:45 today. It is Shabbat Shira so we will be honouring our professional, community and youth choirs who bring so much beauty to our services.

Shabbat shalom to everyone.

Shabbat Shalom

This Shabbat carries a special kind of hope.

Three more hostages are scheduled to be returned tomorrow — three families who have been holding their breath for over 480 days may finally be reunited.

It’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, the prayers, the unity, and the unwavering love of Am Yisrael never stop.

As we welcome the Shabbat, may we hold space for those still waiting, for those who have endured the unimaginable, and for the safe return of every hostage still in captivity.

May this Shabbat bring light, comfort, and the kind of miracles we so desperately need.

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Bo starts at 16:33 in London today. It's the first of February so Ilana Banana will be with us to lead the Kikar Kids service.

Shabbat shalom to everyone.

Cantor Shirel Richman and Shinshinit Gaya Zohar, both Israeli, gave a breathtaking performance of "Come Back" at tonight's Shabbat service. This is in commemoration of the three hostages who returned home this week and the 89 remaining hostages.

I pulled together a link to the song and a translation of the lyrics in a post on my blog. You can watch the performance here
https://cheerfulcurmudgeon.com/2025/01/24/come-back-%d7%aa%d7%97%d7%96%d7%95%d7%a8/

Thinking about #baking #challah tonight.

What are your favorite flavors?

Zaatar, Bharat....open to other ideas!

Shabbat Va'era begins at 16:20 in London today. Shabbat shalom to everyone.

"[O]ur ancestors understood time differently. From the weekly rhythm of #Shabbat to the annual cycle of holidays, #Jewish tradition teaches us to create sacred containers of time. But how could I, a 21st-century professional juggling multiple responsibilities, implement this ancient wisdom?

The answer came from an unexpected source – my grandmother's old mechanical kitchen timer, discovered while cleaning out my kitchen drawer. Its simple mechanism reminded me of a teaching I'd once heard about the #BaalShemTov, the founder of #Hasidism, who taught that every object contains divine sparks waiting to be elevated through #mindful use."

https://aish.com/how-a-kitchen-timer-taught-me-the-power-of-jewish-mindfulness/

Announcement from #SpinozaHavurah (an international online Humanistic Jewish community):

Join us on Saturday, January 25th at 10 am Eastern (4 pm UK) for a #Farbrengen (Jewish discussion session) led by @jmb.

We will start our together with a short niggun and maybe a special song to listen to, but then will transition into some of time of discussion on the topic of Self-Care during hard times from a Humanistic Jewish perspective. Along the way we will have a few interactive activities (including some light stretching) and of course some breaks for a drink (alcoholic or not, as is your custom), and finally close with our #Humanistic version of the Mourner's #Kaddish.

To register, please go to: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/dfd24crFRi-yhx6FWX7XrA

I haven't posted much about the #Israel - #Hamas #ceasefire because I'm worried that it won't stick. I know I'm not alone in feeling this anxiety in the pit of my stomach, fearing that the bombs won't quit falling, that the hostages won't really be coming home, and that Netanyahu will find another way to sabotage the whole thing.

But today is #Shabbat (and yes, I know I shouldn't be on social media today but it hard sometimes to not be), so I'm giving myself permission to dream a little about not only the ceasefire sticking but also what a free and just Israel/Palestine could look like.