Shabbat

Camping Bread for Shabbat

How to Keep Shabbat Anywhere

Toilet Paper: Remember to tear toilet paper. (Especially in India!!!)

Lights: Leave the bathroom light on. For high-tech places where you use your entry card to keep the lights on, I just leave the room before Shabbat and forget my key and leave the lights and air-conditioning on. I tell them at the front desk when I get back and they let me into the room.

Keys: Most modern hotels are using electronic keys. With good English communication you can probably explain your Shabbat issue and someone will let you into the room. If language is a barrier or you don’t want to explain anything, what I do is just say I forgot my key in the room and then someone will let you in. I get away with doing this once on Friday night and on Shabbat afternoon.

If your room has a key: I have a Shabbat belt which I can attach a key to, or leave the key at the desk, or hide the key in the hotel. If you are hiding a key, don’t hide it under the mat in front of your door or above the door frame. I’ll sometimes hide the key under the mat near a door a few rooms away from mine, or even on a different floor. This makes the key unidentifiable to your room.

Shabat hand washing station

Keeping food hot: Wrap your food up right before Shabbat in towels and blankets. If done well, should easily keep food hot for an hour or two and you can enjoy a hot Friday night meal.

Kiddush: Should be made on wine or grape juice Friday night. If you can find grapes, you can crush some to make a cup or two. (Put loose grapes without stems in a sturdy plastic bag and crush with hands, then pour out juice) If no wine or grape juice is available, than make kiddush on bread or matzah. One box of matzah can last 6 Shabbatot. Beer (can be purchased anywhere) is fine to use for kiddush by day but should not be used Friday night. For havdallah you can use beer or tea.

Laundry: I will usually give in my laundry a couple hours before Shabbat even though I know they will do it on Shabbat. As long as you have given them enough time to do it prior to Shabbat it is okay.

Building an Eruv: It is possible to build an eruv anywhere if you have the time, material, and knowhow. Here are some photos of eruv building in Israel on my Derech Hateva trip. We camped 3 shabbatot in the wild and made an eruv each time around our camp site using thin bamboo, nails, fishing line, and shoelace material. If you are going to build an eruv make sure to study the halachot well.