Earlier this year, I was delighted to learn a new song and I now take any opportunity possible to sing it (or post it as my Facebook status). The ditty 'What do you like about Shabbat' was introduced to me by my friends in the UJS office. How did I live all those years in Canada without knowing it?!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this tune, it is a call-and-answer song that asks people to share what they like about Shabbat. It goes a little something like this: "What do you like about Shabbat? What do you like about Shabbat?" "I like _____________!" Popular answers include chicken, challah, relaxing, singing and taking a break. My first-time answer was “I like that it’s subjective!” After 5 months of working on campuses across the northeast of England and Scotland, I feel even more strongly about the subjectivity and the underlying meaning of Shabbat.

For some, Shabbat is 25 hours without T.V., driving, work or computers. For others, it’s a night of the week where they put aside their uni work and get together with friends for a big meal. For some it may just be another day of the week. What I find really cool is that however you choose to observe Shabbat, you can individualise your experiences and how you follow this biblically mandated day-off.

In its most basic form, Shabbat is a time to pause your busy life; to take time out and reflect. For most students, the week is made up of lectures, extra-curricular activities, part-time jobs, essays, working in the library, seeing friends and having a night out here and there. Shabbat provides you with an excuse and an opportunity to do something different.

To provide students with a Shabbat experience, UJS, in partnership with UJS-Hillel and JNF bring you Shabbat UK. Shabbat UK is an initiative that delivers a traditional Friday night meal to your door for only £1. Both vegetarian and meat meals come in four-packs, meaning students are able to feed themselves and their friends for less than a fiver.

Our goal for Shabbat UK is to provide students across the UK with a Shabbat experience that they can make their own. We aim for Jewish students who may not necessarily observe Shabbat to have a meal with their friends for a very affordable and accessible price. Regardless of your level of observance, everyone enjoys a meal with friends.

The Shabbat UK meal comes with chicken (or vegetarian alternative), potatoes, vegetables, challah, candles, grape juice and other resources for you to have an Israeli-themed Shabbat. We will be including material on various short and long-term Israel programmes through organisations like Birthright and MASA, as well as some games and other fun things.

I strongly encourage you to make Shabbat your own, regardless of your observances. Whether Shabbat is a 25 hour break from electricity, a night to spend time and have a meal with friends, or just another day in the week, you can all benefit from Shabbat UK.

Shabbat UK takes place on Friday, March 5th, 2010. For more information, see the link on our website, the Facebook event, or contact me at elana@ujs.org.uk.  

What do you like about Shabbat?