Hanna stood in her Greenwich Village studio apartment admiring the table she had set. The fine china, crystal glasses, and good silverware elevated the Shabbat dinner she was about to have with Jovita. A pair of Shabbat candles glowed in silver candlesticks on the window sill. A bustling nightlife was visible through the window, but inside, everything was calm and peaceful. Hanna put the challah on the her cutting board, covered it, and placed it on the table. A salt shaker went next to the braided bread. Skipping services is one perk of being a woman, Hanna thought to herself. I would never have been able to prepare everything in time if I had to go to maariv too. Lastly, she opened a bottle of Israeli wine and put it in the refrigerator to breath and chill. The sound of a doorbell told her that her girlfriend had arrived.
Hanna rushed to the front door of her building to open the door for Jovita. "You're right on time. I just finished preparing everything," she declared.
Jovita handed Hanna the bag of fresh fruit she was carrying. "Good. I'm starving. I had to work through lunch today, and I came here straight from the office." The couple walked to Hanna's apartment. There, Hanna washed the fruit and put it in a bowl. "How are things with your parents," Jovita asked.
"They still haven't returned my phone calls, but it's only been a week since they blew up at us for interdating. I'm sure they will come around with time."
Jovita nuzzled her lips in the crook of Hanna's neck. "Thanks for standing up for our relationship. I know that was difficult for you."
"You were worth it," Hanna replied.
"Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?" Jovita asked.
"Not yet. Why?"
"My parents are hosting the entire extended family up in Poughkeepsie. You're invited."
"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Hanna said.
"What time do you think we should leave to get there by noon with the holiday traffic?"
Hanna fidgeted a bit. "Let's plan the details tomorrow night when Shabbat is over. I'll make Kiddush over the wine, and then we can start the meal." Hanna got the wine out of the fridge and poured it into her ornate silver Kiddush cup. Jovita waited patiently as Hanna recited a long Hebrew paragraph. When the prayer was over, Hanna took a sip of wine from the Kiddush cup. Then she poured half the wine into Jovita's wine glass and handed it to her. Jovita tasted the red wine. Next Hanna poured the rest of the wine into her own wine glass.
"What does that Hebrew mean?" Jovita asked.
"It sanctifies Shabbat and commemorates the exodus from Egypt," Hanna answered. Hanna brought the Kiddush cup to the kitchenette sink and called over her shoulder to Jovita. "Now we wash our hands before breaking the bread."
Jovita stood next to Hanna as Hanna put water into a silver vessel with two handles. Hanna poured water from the vessel three times over one hand and then three times over the other. She pulled Jovita's hands over the sink, refilled the vessel, and repeated the ritual to wash Jovita's hands. "ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצוותיו, וצונו על נטילת ידים,"Hanna recited. Then she dried both sets of hands with a towel.
"What does that prayer mean?" Jovita asked.
Rather than answer, Hanna motioned for silence and lead Jovita back to the dinner table. She uncovered the challa and scored it with a bread knife. Then she recited more Hebrew, "ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם המוציא לחם מן הארץ". Next Hanna sliced the bread into small pieces and shook salt on it. She ate one piece before passing the cutting board full to bread to Jovita. "Eat."
Jovita followed Hanna's order and ate a piece herself. "This is all kind of new to me."
"Don't worry. It becomes more familiar with time," Hanna assured her. "I should have told you ahead of time. There's no talking between washing the hands and eating the bread, except for reciting the prayer over the bread."
