Shabbaton
Encyclopedia
The Hebrew term Shabbaton, , may be translated into English to mean sabbatical year
. In Israel, when one takes a sabbatical year, one takes the year off in search of other pursuits. It is a rest from work, a hiatus, typically 2 months plus. The concept of a sabbatical year has a source in several places in the Bible (Leviticus 25, for example), where there is a commandment to desist from working the fields in the seventh year. In the strict sense therefore, a sabbatical lasts a year. However, in recent times, a sabbatical has come to mean any extended absence in the career of an individual.
Coloquially outside of Israel, where Hebrew is spoken to a lesser extent, the term Shabbaton has come to mean a program of education, and usually celebration, that is held on a Shabbat
(Jewish sabbath). Sometimes a Shabbaton is an entire weekend with the main focus on the Shabbat. Many communities have such events, including youth groups, singles groups, synagogues, schools, social groups, charitable groups or even family reunions. These events can be multigenerational and wide open, or limited to a small specific group. A Shabbaton can be held where a group usually meets, or at an off-site location.
By calling such a program a Shabbaton, rather than just a "retreat", the group is signifying that it recognizes the importance of Shabbat in the program.
Sabbatical year
Sabbatical or a sabbatical is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year. The concept of sabbatical has a source in shmita, described several places in the Bible...
. In Israel, when one takes a sabbatical year, one takes the year off in search of other pursuits. It is a rest from work, a hiatus, typically 2 months plus. The concept of a sabbatical year has a source in several places in the Bible (Leviticus 25, for example), where there is a commandment to desist from working the fields in the seventh year. In the strict sense therefore, a sabbatical lasts a year. However, in recent times, a sabbatical has come to mean any extended absence in the career of an individual.
Coloquially outside of Israel, where Hebrew is spoken to a lesser extent, the term Shabbaton has come to mean a program of education, and usually celebration, that is held on a Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
(Jewish sabbath). Sometimes a Shabbaton is an entire weekend with the main focus on the Shabbat. Many communities have such events, including youth groups, singles groups, synagogues, schools, social groups, charitable groups or even family reunions. These events can be multigenerational and wide open, or limited to a small specific group. A Shabbaton can be held where a group usually meets, or at an off-site location.
By calling such a program a Shabbaton, rather than just a "retreat", the group is signifying that it recognizes the importance of Shabbat in the program.