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Forum -> Coronavirus Health Questions
Shabbat during lockdown/covid, doesnt feel special anymore



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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 6:27 am
Does anyone else feel this as well?
We are in our 3rd lock down in Israel and shabbat has become a continuation to the rest of the week. We arent going anywhere or doing anything the rest of the week and so shabbat does not feel how it should anymore. Its just the day that we also are not going anywhere or doing anything but also cant be on phone or computer.
I find that I count the hours for shabbat to be over and I really hate that as I used to look forward to shabbat.
Anyone else?
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 6:32 am
My house is cleaner, I’m more relaxed. We get dressed up.
In the afternoon either we play a game or go for a walk or to the park.
Often there is a simcha, so we participate in whatever creative form.
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salt




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 7:02 am
Several of my kids are on long distance lessons that shabbat is most definitely a break from that.
During the week our house is like a operator switchboard with so many conference-calls going on!

On shabbat we divide sefer tehillim between the family, and finish that.
And try to go our for a walk in the afternoon.

I still work, so I guess for me Friday/shabbat are my home days, like it was before covid.

If you are not working, I can see what you mean.
If you work from home then shabbat should still be different.
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amother
Sienna


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 7:08 am
Why isn’t it different? Isn’t the house cleaned up for shabbos? The table should be set, candles lit... things we don’t do during the week. We prepare special Shabbat food and sing. There is a certain calmness in the air. It definitely feels different to me. I also don’t work but I’m not busy with laundry, helping kids get through the phone conferences and school work...
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amother
Periwinkle


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 7:23 am
My parents who do go to work but are very careful describe life like this. They have no kids at home or near them. My mother confided that Shabbos is lonely and boring. They sleep a lot. They miss grandchildren simch is they would normally be so involved in. There is no were to go and no one to see.

I visit a women on Shabbos locked alone in her home since March. She sits at the window and counts ppl. Splits each meal into parts to have something to do. She also can’t read be. If eyesite. Without tv and a phone it’s incredibly difficult to stay sane. And now the temperature is freezing so her Shabbos visitors can’t last so long outside. She watches the clock for Shabbos to end. It’s so sad bec before this she was happening place with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. (Also worked full time)
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amother
Forestgreen


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 7:37 am
I agree it's more of an effort to make shabbos special without guest's etc.
Here's what we do.
Friday night we sing. After dinner we play a family game (or some of the family).
I work harder on making special food.
Shabbos day
Everyone has to be dressed and downstairs in the morn by 10.30. we read the parsha from a Chumash and discuss.
At the table we do parsha brainteasers or the "what if?" Book.
The kids go for walks in the afternoon with a friend (which is allowed here)
And the no screen situation makes it a real break.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 8:00 am
I work from home all week, my kids have distance learning during the week, DH works away from home during most waking hours - Shabbat is the only time he’s home when the kids are up.
It’s family time without distraction of technology and every day commitments we all have.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 8:01 am
amother [ Periwinkle ] wrote:
My parents who do go to work but are very careful describe life like this. They have no kids at home or near them. My mother confided that Shabbos is lonely and boring. They sleep a lot. They miss grandchildren simch is they would normally be so involved in. There is no were to go and no one to see.

I visit a women on Shabbos locked alone in her home since March. She sits at the window and counts ppl. Splits each meal into parts to have something to do. She also can’t read be. If eyesite. Without tv and a phone it’s incredibly difficult to stay sane. And now the temperature is freezing so her Shabbos visitors can’t last so long outside. She watches the clock for Shabbos to end. It’s so sad bec before this she was happening place with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. (Also worked full time)

Wow that’s very very difficult.
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amother
Papaya


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 8:33 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Does anyone else feel this as well?
We are in our 3rd lock down in Israel and shabbat has become a continuation to the rest of the week. We arent going anywhere or doing anything the rest of the week and so shabbat does not feel how it should anymore. Its just the day that we also are not going anywhere or doing anything but also cant be on phone or computer.
I find that I count the hours for shabbat to be over and I really hate that as I used to look forward to shabbat.
Anyone else?


Lockdown is not the way to go!!
I'll say it again. And again.
Are you allowed to go out in a quiet place for fresh air?
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amother
Cyan


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 8:53 am
During our many months of lockdown I started to appreciate shabbos on a whole new level.

We consciously made shabbos different to other days. I still made shabbos food even without guests. Not a huge feast that no one would eat, but the shabbos food my kids appreciate.
I baked for shabbos.
We really felt the and appreciated the pause from the stress and tension.

We played board games and read a lot, went for walks, enjoyed the switch off from technology.
We started singing zemiros (not our minhag, but DH’s grandfathers did and he always said he wanted his kids to know them - now they do)

Extra tehillim - we have the custom to say extra for shabbos mevarchim (some say the whole tehillim) and all kids who did some would go for ice cream on Sunday.

One thing that really made a difference -
I would do a food swap with a few local family members.
There was a time where we couldn’t leave our homes besides for a few reasons but food delivery was allowed.
We would each make extra of one thing for shabbos, a dip, kugel, cake, cookies etc and share with the others.
Even if we couldn’t eat together, we were still sharing our shabbos meals.
Plus I enjoyed the chance to leave the house on Friday afternoon Wink
Also knowing that you’re cooking for someone else makes a difference.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 9:46 am
amother [ Papaya ] wrote:
Lockdown is not the way to go!!
I'll say it again. And again.
Are you allowed to go out in a quiet place for fresh air?
When I say we go nowhere, I mean, to stores, out to eat etc. We go out to walk our dog everyday, to get fresh air.
ANd of course lock down in not the way to go. I know that, but thats where we are right now. Nothing I can do about that.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 9:48 am
And for those saying the day is different from the week, well, my kids are older so I dont have to be on top of them all week and on shabbat they dont need my attention either. And our home is clean during the week as well. they are past the playing on the floor age. So those things are the exact same during the week and on shabbat.
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amother
Coral


 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 9:56 am
I buy extra reading material (have access to magazines from grocery order) and buy some food to make shabbos more exciting.
I hope things get better quickly!
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mig100




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 02 2021, 9:58 am
My heart goes out to all the imas in isreal in lockdown. Teary Eyed

Its so hard.

May we all stay well and see an end to this magefa very soon.
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