The latest sunset of this year was Friday, June 20 – 10.07pm in Glasgow. Sunset marks the start of Shabbat, and some members of the Jewish community gathered together in a woodland in Giffnock to celebrate the Summer Solstice, at an outdoor Shabbat dinner organised by the Jewish Council of Scotland.

We started our preparations by building a campfire over which to cook our Friday night dinner, a vegan Thai curry. While that was gently simmering, Senior Community Worker Sydney Switzer facilitated a discussion around the role of seasonal change in Jewish practice, including discussion of a Talmudic text about the solstice.

We then got into the mood for Shabbat with some of the traditional songs of the Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming Shabbat) service, with everyone sharing their own favourite tunes. As the light began to fade, we lit our Shabbat candles and recited Kiddush over a cup of grape juice, followed by some delicious freshly baked Challah.

We welcomed Shabbat and enjoyed dinner together, leaving the fire to die down naturally – once Shabbat comes in, Jewish law prohibits tending to the fire. More singing followed the meal, as we celebrated the height of summer and the bounty of Shabbat together.

This event was run in collaboration with Teva, and is part of a series of events focussing on celebrating the nature-based aspects of Judaism. It was also the finale of our 2024-2025 programming year, which included over 50 programmes, engaging over 2300 participants across Scotland, and felt a timely way to relax and wind down before the summer break.