One more meal...and you'll be Jewish

I had an interesting Shabbat. I spent the weekend with a research colleague and his family to see what life is like for an Orthdox family in a religious neighboorhood for shabbat. From the moment the community gates closed at sunset for the next 24 hours life slowed down several notches and the rythmn of the day moved from shaul (attending synagogue) to long family meals and prayer, lots of times to chat and rest, to more food, to shaul, to more food to walk and to still more food. I love how life slowed down and the focus was on family and faith. When I told a secular friend about my experience he said, ah well one more meal in a religious home and you'll truly be Jewish! It was also amazing that minutes after shabbat ended the community was restore to normal busy-ness. We were still singing and lighting the final shabbat candel when the phone rang and car could be heard buzzing outside. It was a great expereince.