The Makor Project · K–5 Lesson · Handout

Set the Shabbat Table

A draw-and-color activity · Grades K–2

How to do this activity

  1. Look at the family Shabbat table below — a mom, a dad, two children, a baby in a high chair, and the family dog, together on Friday evening.
  2. Draw the four Shabbat items from the bottom of the page right onto the table: the candles, the challah, the Kiddush cup, and a plate for each person.
  3. Color the whole picture — the people, the tablecloth, the table, and everything you drew!
Friday evening

What is Shabbat?

Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest. It comes every single week — not just once a year. It starts on Friday evening when the sun goes down, and it lasts until Saturday night. It is a time to stop, rest, and be together with the people you love. The picture above shows one family at their Friday-evening Shabbat meal: a dad, a mom, two children, and a baby, all at the table. The little caps some of them wear are called kippot (you say it kee-POTE; one is a kippah). People wear them as a sign of respect during prayers and blessings.

Draw these four things onto your table — and learn what each one means

Two candles
Why we light them: A grown-up lights two candles on Friday evening to welcome Shabbat. The light tells everyone the day of rest has begun. There are two — one for each of the two ways the day is remembered and kept.
Challah
Why challah: A soft, sweet bread that is braided like woven hair. There are usually two loaves, because long ago a double amount of food was gathered the day before the rest day, so no one had to work for it on Shabbat.
The Kiddush cup
What the blessing is about: A cup of grape juice (wine for grown-ups). A short blessing called Kiddush is said over it. It says thank you and sets this special day apart from the busy week. Then the meal begins.
A plate for everyone
What is special about the food: Families cook a nice meal and everyone eats together. Set one plate for each person. The food is a treat, but the best part is the people around the table — that is the whole point of Shabbat.