We spent the last four Shabbatot doing it “my way” surrounded by the side of our family that we rarely see, our younger daughter and her family who live in the northern French city of Lille.
We arrived early Friday morning jet lagged and wanting nothing more than a shower and a nap. But it was already mid-afternoon when we walked into the house. While my daughter is not observant, when I am visiting we always do Shabbat, lighting candles and eating hopefully homebaked hallah.
So on four Friday evenings in May well before the 9:30ish sunset time, we gathered around the Shabbat table. The family members changed weekly and one evening there was a guest, a friend of Max who provided a good excuse to explain Shabbat.
For anyone who has downsized and had to make the wrenching emotional decisions about what to do with Grandma’s crystal, Mom’s silver and delicate china, and one’s own accumulated tableware, it was tear-provoking to see the table sparkle with that crystal, china and silver in addition to some of my own items all of which had been carefully wrapped and flown across the Atlantic in hand luggage over the past couple of years.
The hallah was homemade a couple of evenings, sweet brioche from a local bakery on another, and on our last Shabbat, imported from the historic Jewish Marais neighborhood of Paris.
But it was the togetherness, talking about and using Grandma Bessie’s fine crystal, Boppa Shirley’s bone china plates, and seeing items from our home of 47 years on the table that made it truly special as Rebecca lit the candles, the kids sang the blessings and then went on to discuss the high points of the week.
As they say in France – Chabbat Chalom!
- MESH Report December 24, 2024 - Thu, Dec 26, 2024
- Hanukkah Book Recommendations - Mon, Dec 16, 2024
- Happy Jewish Book Month! - Thu, Dec 5, 2024