Part of America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration
A National Day of Rest, Reflection, and Gratitude
As part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the Florida Jewish community will join Jewish communities across the country this Friday night and Saturday in observing Shabbat 250 — a nationally designated day of rest, reflection, gratitude, and faith.
The observance begins at sundown on Friday, May 15, 2026, and continues through nightfall on Saturday, May 16 — the eve of the National Day of Prayer.
Shabbat 250 is part of the nation’s semi-quincentennial celebration and coincides with National Jewish American Heritage Month. The proclamation establishing Shabbat 250 calls upon “friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds” to unite in gratitude and specifically encourages Jewish Americans to observe a national Sabbath in honor of this historic milestone.
Jewish Americans have been woven into the fabric of this country since its founding. Shabbat 250 offers an opportunity to recognize and celebrate that enduring connection with appreciation and pride. The proclamation specifically honors Haym Salomon, the Polish-born Jewish financier whose support helped sustain the American Revolution during its most difficult moments.
The Rebbe often taught that America’s founders believed deeply in Divine Providence — that our freedoms and rights ultimately come from G-d. America’s founding documents themselves reference a reliance on “Divine Providence,” reflecting not a belief in a distant Creator, but in G-d’s active involvement in daily life. Even our national motto, “In G-d We Trust,” affirms this enduring truth.
The Rebbe also emphasized that the United States, blessed by G-d with extraordinary material and spiritual abundance, carries both the privilege and responsibility to spread goodness, morality, and light throughout the world.
This weekend, we celebrate the tremendous contributions and legacy of American Jews, who have gathered around the Shabbat table since the earliest days of this nation. Whether you observe Shabbat every week or have never experienced it before, Shabbat 250 is an invitation to pause, reconnect, and express gratitude for the unprecedented religious freedom and opportunity the Jewish people have enjoyed in America over the past 250 years.
Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, is observed weekly from Friday sundown through Saturday nightfall. Rooted in the Biblical account of creation — in which G-d created the heavens and earth in six days and rested on the seventh — Shabbat is anchored in the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
For one day each week, we step away from work, commerce, technology, and the constant pressures of daily life in order to focus on family, community, spirituality, and gratitude to G-d.
At a time when modern life rarely allows us to truly stop, rest, and simply be present, Shabbat offers a timeless 3,000-year-old remedy to the exhaustion and distraction of contemporary society.
Many Chabad centers throughout South Florida will commemorate Shabbat 250 with special community Shabbat dinners and Kiddush luncheons. I encourage everyone to reach out to their local Chabad or synagogue to learn about the programs being offered.
You are also warmly invited to join us at Chabad Chayil for a beautiful and uplifting Shabbos experience featuring inspiring services, a scrumptious community dinner, and festive Kiddush lunch in honor of this special occasion. The entire Jewish community is welcome, regardless of background or affiliation.
For information or reservations, visit ChabadChayil.org/Events or call (305) 770-1919.
Ways to Celebrate Shabbat 250
There are many meaningful ways to participate, including:
- Lighting Shabbat candles before sundown on Friday
- Sharing a Shabbat dinner with family or friends
- Attending synagogue services
- Taking a 25-hour break from technology
- Setting aside time to rest and recharge
- Enjoying a peaceful Shabbat walk
The idea that one day each week is dedicated to rest, family, faith, and gratitude is deeply woven into the moral fabric of this country — and perhaps today, more than ever, it is exactly what we need.
Event Details
Who: The South Florida Jewish Community
What: Shabbat 250 Observance — Services, Community Dinner & Kiddush Lunch
Where: Chabad Chayil, 2601 NE 211 Terrace, Miami, FL 33180
When: Friday–Saturday, May 15–16, 2026
RSVP / Information: ChabadChayil.org/Events | (305) 770-1919
About Shabbat 250
As part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and National Jewish American Heritage Month, the White House designated the first-ever national Shabbat observance, known as Shabbat 250, beginning at sundown on Friday, May 15, 2026, through nightfall on Saturday, May 16 — the day before the National Day of Prayer.
To learn more about Shabbat in general visit ChabadChayil.org/Shabbat.
About the author:
Rabbi Kievman together with his wife Layah are the ambassadors of The Rebbe to Highland Lakes, FL. They are the founders of Gan Chabad Preschool, your local CTeen & CKids chapters, CHAP – an afterschool program for Jewish children in Public Schools and direct Chabad Chayil. He’s the rabbi at The Family Shul and can be reached at (305) 770-1919 or rabbi@ChabadChayil.org. To partner with Chabad and invest in their communal work go to ChabadChayil.org/Partner.
Subscribe to the JFN WhatsApp Channel
