4 Ways to Keep Shabbat Magical While Traveling
I didn’t anticipate feeling homesick on this trip considering how many incredible sites we’d see, tastes we’d bite into, and all this time we'd have making memories. For the most part, that’s been the case but the hardest part of being gone has been missing our Shabbat ritual and time with friends around our table.
Not many people can say they took a three month honeymoon… I feel pretty fortunate to say that my husband and I did! But, there’s a bit of a story:
My name is Marissa, I’m a content creator and Oneg’s Brand Strategist. While planning for our wedding, my then-fiancé now-husband, Steve, and I realized our lease would end the same week as our wedding and we weren’t planning to resign. I don’t know any bride that would recommend moving homes within even 90 days of a wedding.
So, we did what anyone with a remote job would (and should) do: we moved out of our apartment two weeks early and put all of our stuff in storage before getting married. After the wedding, we flew to Europe for the start of a three month “honey-move” and have been on this journey since. We’re well into month two of bouncing from city to city and things are going smoothly. Of course there are some exceptions like missing my iced oat milk lattes and wanting to offer a few pieces of feedback for some of our Airbnb hosts.
I didn’t anticipate feeling homesick on this trip considering how many incredible sites we’d see, tastes we’d bite into, and all this time Steve and I would have to make memories. I assumed that the sparkly adventure in front of us would distract me from missing things back in Chicago. For the most part, that’s been the case but the hardest part of being gone has been missing our Shabbat ritual and time with friends around our table.
But, there’s good news! Thanks to a few expertly designed ritual items from Oneg, we’ve been able to keep up with Shabbat while abroad in a way that has us feeling some semblance of normal whilst living out of an, albeit overpacked, suitcase.
If you’re traveling for a weekend, a week, a month, or longer, Oneg’s Shabbat ritual items are the perfect way to bring the connection of Shabbat and the meaning of the moment with you. Below I’ve listed 4 things to consider while on the road with Shabbat and I hope they’ll make your next trip easier and more meaningful with the help of Oneg!
ONE: Oneg’s Conversation Cards
When packing for this trip, I pulled out each of the Oneg conversation cards that correspond with the weeks we were gone so we’d always have them for Friday nights. Not only do they inspire conversation through intentional and topical questions, they’re also the perfect size to fit into a travel crossbody or small clutch to take to dinner. One of my favorite memories is having Shabbat with Steve at a stunning restaurant in Lake Como, Oneg convo cards included.
TWO: Oneg’s Guide Book
The Oneg Shabbat guide book is a GREAT way to capture the essence of Shabbat. Bring one or two with you and you’ll always have a unique, engaging, user-friendly roadmap to the rituals and blessings of Shabbat eve within reach.
THREE: Challah on the road...
If you’re not in a place that allows you to make your own challah, or that’s not your style anyway, there’s two amazing options for you to take. First, use a hunt for challah as an inspiration to explore the Jewish neighborhood of where you’re traveling! Steve and I had a great time exploring Siena, Italy’s synagogue while on the hunt for a Jewish bakery and we highly recommend taking this angle when planning your Thursday or Friday adventures. Another hot tip: grab a baguette from the local bakery and enjoy the tastes of freshly made bread while you say ha motzi!
- Bonus tip: In London, we LOVED Bread By Bike in Camden Town – you must go!
FOUR: Don’t forget the challah cover!
And lastly... packing light and keeping Shabbat elevated and stunning go hand in hand with Oneg’s Shabbat embroidered challah cover. Bring one, two, or all seven colors with you! Each will no doubt be the perfect addition to your travel plans for any backdrop your itinerary may lead you to.
Shabbat is a feeling within me that I have access to no matter where in the world I am. And, yet, I found myself missing the feeling of conversation and connection around the tables I had previously sat down at. Knowing my Oneg items have been traveling with us has made this trip feel like a chance to elevate our Shabbat practice, not miss out on it. Oneg’s intentionally designed pieces have made our travel so much more grounded in our favorite part of the week: Shabbat.
Written from Malaga, Spain where we'll be for Shabbat this week with our Oneg items and the deep conversations that come with them!
