In Israel, certain Shabbat prohibitions condition the life of every Israeli, even non-religious. During Pope John Paul II’s recent trip to Israel, and under pressure from religious political parties, Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s meeting with Pope John Paul II had to be cut short to comply with these strict rules.
The Sabbath service on Saturday mornings takes place in the synagogue. Dedicated to the meditation of the Torah, it is composed of songs and the reading of the sacred text by the officiant and the faithful.
On this Friday, in her New York kitchen, a few hours before the beginning of Shabbat, Sussman prepares the ritual breads and explains how she organizes herself taking into account the prohibitions of her faith. She really likes shabbat, this break time in the week (interview translated into voice-over).
In Jerusalem on Friday night. The Bliah family is busy in the kitchen before Shabbat starts in two hours. Because from this moment on, all forms of work will be forbidden for 24 hours. The mother of the family explains why the Shabbat rest is a culmination, a release from everyday life to think about the essential things of existence.
For the Sabbath, the obligatory day of rest according to the Torah, religious Jews comply with a large number of prohibitions that recall work. A resident of the city gives some examples of these prohibitions.