Our Shabbat was held with the intention of bringing together a sisterhood of women to celebrate, relax, and learn about the weekly Jewish ritual. A few women had never been to a Shabbos meal before so we really took time to share our personal interpretations of what observing Shabbos is really about. One particularly special observance on this Shabbos was to use less gender-specific terminology in our prayers and blessings. I think this was a very special component of the evening as was our acknowledging of the New Moon and setting some intentions for the lunar cycle we were about to embark on. Mostly, we embodied the significance of Shabbat in our honoring of each others' company and the delicious vegan food we prepared with so much love. It was truly a joy and honor to host a Shabbat sponsored by Birthright NEXT.