When Jon and I sat down at the end of the summer to sketch out the academic year ahead in broad strokes, I told him I wanted to prioritize Friday evening Shabbat dinners.

We’ve done Shabbat - saying the prayers, at least - most weeks over the last few years, but I want to make it part of our default. More, actually: I want to keep Friday evening sacred as family time. Part of that means committing to being at home for Shabbat and scheduling activities on other nights. But the other part, even if we just throw a frozen pizza in the oven and say the hagafen over a beer (despite the blessing literally meaning “who created the fruit of the vine”), means recognizing it as an experience outside of our normal routine.