Shabbat or Shabbos is a special time of the week that has its own magic. Exactly how you observe Shabbat will depend on how religious you are and how you interpret Shabbat rules and traditions. Even many secular Jews find pleasure and comfort in observing (or at least acknowledging) cultural traditions that go back thousands of years.<\/p>\n
The average\u00a0American<\/span>\u00a0Jew lives in a crazy\u00a024 hour<\/span>\u00a0economy. We\u2019re hit with information and stimulation from every direction \u2013 most of it\u2019s either trivial, unnecessary or irritating. It\u2019s not great for our mental health, but we\u2019ve come to regard it as normal. Shabbat provided our ancestors with a break from five and a half days of hard work, it also gives us a vital opportunity to disconnect from the online and media world and slow the pace of life. Just switching your phone off, or putting it on silent is a significant act \u2013 and not just for Generation\u00a0Z<\/span>.<\/p>\n The ritual of candle lighting, bringing family and friends together around the dinner table and sanctifying Shabbat with the Kiddush blessing is a spiritual act. There\u2019s a beauty and simplicity that can move even the most determinedly secular free thinker. Shabbat rituals are a thread that runs right through Jewish history and connect us to our earliest ancestors in the biblical Kingdom of Israel.<\/p>\n For many families, Erev Shabbat is the only time that they will actually sit together as a family and share a properly cooked meal. Whether you\u2019re religious or not, a sanctified day of rest that emphasizes food and family is a very deep human need.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re at\u00a0home<\/span>, keeping Shabbat is usually pretty straightforward. We have a routine that includes weekly\u00a0shopping<\/span>\u00a0and cooking, picking up the wine and the challah, maybe inviting guests and chasing up the kids to make sure that they\u2019ll be on time. If you\u2019re not stressed or under pressure with the preparations, there\u2019s usually a feeling of pleasant anticipation as the end of the week approaches.<\/p>\n When we\u2019re traveling, especially in a place that doesn\u2019t have a big Jewish community, keeping Shabbat becomes a bit more awkward for observant Jews. If you\u2019re staying in a hotel or a guesthouse in Europe, or you need to create a travel itinerary that doesn\u2019t include flying or driving on Shabbat, you may be dependent on other people\u2019s willingness to accommodate your needs. Quite often, they simply won\u2019t be aware of the ins and outs of Shabbat observance \u2013 or understand its importance to you and your family.<\/p>\n When tourist and hospitality businesses and caterers operate with very tight overheads, or work under pressure, it can be a challenge to adjust well oiled routines and create special conditions for a\u00a0single<\/span>\u00a0guest or just one family. Even where there\u2019s plenty of hospitable goodwill and flexibility, there\u2019s a lot of potential for inadvertent mistakes that will violate Shabbat or kashrut. Unless you\u2019re self-catering or renting a vacation apartment, you\u2019ll have a problem.<\/p>\n One solution is to book a kosher trip with Gil Travel and enjoy all the perks of luxury travel \u2013 and keep Shabbat. There are plenty of amazing kosher travel destinations, ranging from ski vacations in the Nevada mountains to Jewish heritage tours of Poland, and\u00a0historical<\/span>\u00a0Jewish districts in European or South\u00a0American\u00a0cities. It\u2019s even possible to arrange private Jewish art tours of European capitals with an itinerary and luxury accommodation that allows you to observe Shabbat correctly.<\/p>\n A kosher trip is a tour or a vacation organized by a Jewish travel company. It basically guarantees that travelers will be able to keep kosher and observe Shabbat from the moment they leave home, until the moment they return. It\u2019s possible to create custom-designed luxury travel itineraries that accommodate for every level of religious observance. Shabbat-keeping travel arrangements are opening up all kinds of exciting new destinations for religious Jews, and are taking a lot of the headaches out of international travel.<\/p>\n A kosher trip begins with selecting travel dates that won\u2019t conflict with Shabbat or any of the high holidays or even minor religious holidays. It also means ensuring that the airline serves properly certified kosher food (preferably kosher food that\u2019s also reasonably appetizing). If tzniut (modesty) is also an issue, there may also be an option to request a convenient seating plan on the flight.<\/p>\n Kosher travel destinations always have good hotels that are used to welcoming Jewish guests and cook kosher food under the supervision of a recognized mashgiach. This supervision should include every aspect of food sourcing, storage, handling, preparation and dining. There are a lot of opportunities for accidental violation of kashrut in a busy commercial kitchen, or with untrained waiting staff, so strict supervision is essential (even in Jewish owned hotels and restaurants).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re self catering, or planning picnics, packed lunches or snacks, you\u2019ll need access to the best Jewish delis and food stores. One of the best things about travel is when you can turn a trip into a gastronomical adventure. When you book a private luxury travel tour, your guide will give you the full run down on local cuisine and traditional Jewish foods from that area. Nothing beats local knowledge when it comes to good food and drink.<\/p>\n The availability of (correct) kosher food is the\u00a0single\u00a0biggest issue for observant Jewish travelers, but there are plenty of other things to\u00a0check<\/span>\u00a0with your tour\u00a0operator<\/span>\u00a0before you book a trip.<\/p>\n It might be something that you take for granted, but if you\u2019re staying in a European hotel, you might be met with a confused expression when you ask for kosher wine, challah and candles \u2013 or a Shabbat hot plate. The same will\u00a0apply<\/span>\u00a0if you ask for wine and besamim for havdalah. If you require grape juice instead of wine,\u00a0check\u00a0that there\u2019s a kosher version\u00a0available<\/span>.<\/p>\n If you need a Shabbat elevator, you\u2019ll definitely need to let your tour\u00a0operator\u00a0know up front. Some hotels have them, or can arrange for someone to operate the elevator for you. If not, a ground floor or first floor room may be essential. Depending on your level of observance, other electrical items like thermostats, electronic room keys and motion sensors could be problematic. Liaise with your tour company and don\u2019t get caught out.<\/p>\n Ideally, your hotel will be a short walk from a suitable synagogue. Again, this is something that you can discuss with your tour provider. Local knowledge and personal connections can be a great help if you want to\u00a0attend<\/span>\u00a0a Shabbat service.<\/p>\n If you traveled halfway across the world on a Jewish heritage tour, you probably don\u2019t want to spend an entire Shabbat sitting in a hotel room \u2013 especially if you have young children. Every family has their own concept of what constitutes acceptable activity on Shabbat, but even a gentle stroll through a local park or garden can be a very welcome diversion. Your tour guide can put together a list of activities that match your needs.<\/p>\n Gil Travel has decades of experience when it comes to arranging trips and tours to Shabbat-friendly destinations. If you\u2019re looking for exciting kosher travel destinations for your next vacation, we\u2019ll be happy to help. We also specialize in tailored Jewish heritage tours that help you to explore your family background and history, or any area of special interest. If you have to travel somewhere on business, or for any other reason, we may also be able to help with luxury travel and Shabbat-friendly hotels.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":12821,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-14194","external_posts","type-external_posts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKeeping Shabbat During Travel and Vacations<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is a Kosher Trip?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A Quick Checklist for Shabbat-Friendly Travel<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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