One Shabbos.
We’ll help you prepare.
A simple step-by-step guide to keeping Shabbos 250 from Friday afternoon through Havdalah. Find your local times, prepare before Shabbos, and print a packet you can follow offline.
Why Shabbos 250?
For the first time in American history, a sitting president has proclaimed a national Shabbat. As part of the Jewish American Heritage Month 2026 proclamation and the Rededicate 250 weekend marking America’s 250th anniversary, President Donald Trump invited Jewish Americans to come together on the Shabbos of Parshas Bamidbar — Friday, May 15 through Saturday night, May 16, 2026 — for one full Sabbath of rest, reflection, prayer, and gratitude.
“In special honor of 250 glorious years of American independence, Jewish Americans are encouraged to observe a national Sabbath. From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation.”
Whether this is your first full Shabbos or your hundredth, the goal is the same: to enter the day calmly, keep what you can, and share something timeless with the people around you.
How Shabbos250.com helps
Find your times
Enter your ZIP code so you know exactly when Shabbos begins and ends.
Prepare before Shabbos
Use the checklist to get candles, food, grape juice, challah, and your home ready.
Follow the printed packet
Print your guide before Shabbos and follow one step at a time.
Your Shabbos, step by step
The packet is organized by time, so you only look at the section you are up to.
- STEP 01
Prepare Before Shabbos
Cook, set lights, print, put away phone.
- STEP 02
Light Candles
Welcome Shabbos with candle lighting.
- STEP 03
Friday Night Prayer
Walk to shul, or welcome Shabbos at home.
- STEP 04
Kiddush & Friday Meal
Kiddush, wash for challah, eat together.
- STEP 05
Rest Into Shabbos
Quiet, conversation, sleep.
- STEP 06
Shabbos Morning
Shul, prayer, or learning at home.
- STEP 07
Daytime Kiddush & Lunch
Daytime Kiddush, washing, lunch.
- STEP 08
Shabbos Afternoon
Rest, learn, walk, talk, disconnect.
- STEP 09
Shalosh Seudos
A reflective third meal before sundown.
- STEP 10
Wait Until Nightfall
Stay in Shabbos until it fully ends.
- STEP 11
Havdalah
Mark the transition back to the week.
- STEP 12
What Comes Next
Choose one step to keep growing.
If this is your first Shabbos, focus on these five things.
Prepare before Shabbos
Cook food, set lights, put away your phone, and print your guide.
Light candles
Use your local candle lighting time. Welcome Shabbos before sunset.
Make Kiddush & meals
Use wine or grape juice and challah for both Shabbos meals.
Avoid weekday activities
No phone, driving, cooking, money, writing, or electronics.
End with Havdalah
Wait until Shabbos ends, then make Havdalah with wine, spices, and a candle.
Get reminders before Shabbos 250.
We’ll send you helpful, simple reminders before May 15, 2026 — what to prepare, where to find a meal, and how to print your packet on time. No clutter. No politics.
Find a Shabbos meal, shul, or rabbi.
We’ll do our best to connect you with local resources — an Orthodox synagogue, a warm Shabbos table, or a rabbi to ask questions — before Shabbos 250 begins.
One full Shabbos. Anywhere in America.
Shabbos 250 — also commonly spelled Shabbat 250 — is a national Shabbat designated by President Donald Trump in his Jewish American Heritage Month 2026 proclamation, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Together with the Rededicate 250 weekend of prayer and thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are invited to keep one full Orthodox Shabbos beginning before sundown on Friday, May 15, 2026 (Parshas Bamidbar) and ending after nightfall on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Whether this is your first time keeping Shabbos or you have grown up with parts of it, this site is a calm companion that walks you through every step.
On Shabbos, observant Jews refrain from work and weekday activities — phones, driving, cooking, money, electronics — and lean into rest, prayer, learning, and meals with family and friends. The day begins with candle lighting, includes Friday night Kiddush over wine and Hamotzi over challah, and ends with Havdalah on Saturday night.
The fastest way to prepare is to find your local Shabbos times, build your packet, and print it before candle lighting. Once Shabbos begins, set the phone aside and follow the printed guide one step at a time. If you have questions on the way, the FAQ is a good starting point, or find help from a local rabbi or shul before Shabbos.
This guide is general educational guidance written in a beginner-friendly Orthodox tone. For personal halachic questions, contact a qualified Orthodox rabbi. In any health or safety situation, preserving life and safety always comes first.