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No phones. No TVs. No internet. No AI."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"28ff3b503e75","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"dca6d13023670","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Would you disconnect?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e4071532eb4f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9cd55f3f80c80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I have been disconnecting my entire life. As an Orthodox Jewish woman, my observance of Shabbat — the day of rest — is my lifeline. No matter how busy the week is, Shabbat reliably returns every Friday at sundown, bringing with it a peaceful presence."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"03639fc0175a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"726f393889200","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shabbat is not just a physical pause but a spiritual one. As sunset approaches, the week grinds to a halt, and the pressure starts to fade. My senses are indulged by the sight of Shabbat candles burning, the smell of savory chicken soup warming, the sound of prayer, the taste of challah."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"715d55213033","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b3473b9c5a5a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Why do I unplug? My belief is rooted in a higher power who “made heaven and earth and sea — and all that is in them — and then rested on the seventh day” ("},{"_key":"b3473b9c5a5a1","_type":"span","marks":["0da7ce833cd8"],"text":"Exodus 20:11"},{"_key":"b3473b9c5a5a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"). I have found the benefits of this reset extend from the personal to the professional."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"0da7ce833cd8","_type":"link","href":"https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.20.11?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"81016d5ec37c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c011b635ca690","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For me, Shabbat is expressed through five themes: culture, community, clarity, curiosity, and connection."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ce959e282b4e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"443273e080160","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Culture"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"590ee4548d64","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"777b10a23e290","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As a child, I remember Shabbat offering the luxury of time, intermingled with tradition. My mother lit the Shabbat candles, and I could feel a separation from the week as the warm glow transformed the ambiance of our home. I would get dressed up and walk to synagogue with my father, noticing neighborhood dogs and flowers along the way."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f94407041c8f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"50396ee432d00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Culture came through clearly with tradition, food, and language. I recall the taste of my grandmother Roza’s meatballs. She spoke Yiddish to my grandmother Esther while stirring the sauce. Grandma Esti, as I called her, conversed in French with my parents and uncle, telling incredible tales of survival. As an adult, celebrating Shabbat with my husband’s parents — who are originally from Morocco and Yemen — introduced me to the songs and food of their Jewish heritage."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"0b72316ee65b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b24e81135b880","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Community"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"2376f632b8fe","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7a8a1c66eb340","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shabbat is not a solo ceremony. Community comes together to share stories, tell jokes, exchange ideas, to kibitz! A typical Shabbat dinner table might feature multi-generational folks from different walks of life, with an expanded circle regardless of profession, seniority, age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Shared values encircle us."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"61f4407c1177","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"fd4765c2d70e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Aliza Kline, founder of OneTable, "},{"_key":"fd4765c2d70e1","_type":"span","marks":["50fdc630fbe6"],"text":"reflected on the impact of the nonprofit’s work"},{"_key":"fd4765c2d70e2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and the value of the “Shabbat” community:"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"50fdc630fbe6","_type":"link","href":"https://archive.is/BZuno"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3abccae99843","_type":"quote","body":"We’ve seen the way Shabbat dinner is changing lives — it’s forming communities where there was absence, it’s healing people from the ills of the week and the world, it’s giving people a framework for caring for one another.","quoteOptions":"quote"},{"_key":"051696969b88","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"20f3d375b8660","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Clarity"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"5e79c2ff0fe2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f085ca12db720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shabbat inspires clarity of soul and clarity of mind."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f9f9398ad208","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"cc8d2a7b224d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I am admittedly Type A: hard charging, tending toward perfectionist tendencies. As a professional, pause anchors me. On Shabbat, I simply cannot work, marking a clear boundary, and intentional break from day-to-day norms that brings the opportunity for presence, rejuvenation, depth, and reflection."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f2db577c1e4e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"18afc71cb7ab0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks — who was a theologian, biblical scholar, author, and Member of the House of Lords in the UK — "},{"_key":"18afc71cb7ab1","_type":"span","marks":["27964c75bf7a"],"text":"noted"},{"_key":"18afc71cb7ab2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":":"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"27964c75bf7a","_type":"link","href":"https://rabbisacks.org/jewish-holidays/shabbat/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"17d42f0f22c1","_type":"quote","body":"Shabbat is our moment of eternity in the midst of time. Within the cycle of the week, it creates a delicate rhythm of action and reflection, making and enjoying, running and standing still. Without that pause to experience family, community, and G-d, we risk making the journey while missing the view.","quoteOptions":"quote"},{"_key":"adf2912ec727","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e6aec240441c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Curiosity"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"e9be927a22e4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6d8734b4184a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We are all lifelong learners. Judaism, with its tradition of questioning and healthy debate, encourages that pursuit. As a child, I watched family members engage in dialogue and study together on Shabbat. Today, the persistence of civil discourse is encouraging. Shabbat afternoon is also the perfect time to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read, or share one with a child on your lap."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"0b5934214807","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"808f9c1a278a0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Connection"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"f18215d914d9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"64b5b3da2e400","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Real-life connection with real people is built into Shabbat. Free of screens, eye contact is strong. There is a directness and depth to conversation."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a1f79ba84238","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"cd44f12626c30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Beyond that, Shabbat connects me to my heritage. Shabbat has been celebrated for thousands of years and by countless generations. It wasn’t always easy. Before coming to the United States as refugees, my paternal relatives were unable to observe Shabbat openly. (In fact, they did not reveal that they were Jewish.) Still, they went to synagogue, one that was unmarked and hidden behind a stone wall, to be found only by those who knew where to look."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d38c4998f5df","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"93ad2707ab4f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As we honor Jewish American Heritage Month, I feel an immense gratitude that I can practice my faith publicly. Shabbat offers a sense of continuity — it is in my roots and a gift that I am passing on to my children."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9ee8fcfe12d2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"10cb5baa30900","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Connecting the Personal and the Professional"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"9a02b526362e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2ca127e6964f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As an entrepreneur and a mother, I could not survive the work and school week without Shabbat. While this powerful pause is my religious practice, it powers my professional outlook. Whether or not a day of rest is your tradition, these five features can be applied universally."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"18100a071b95","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6c5a6a63f4a70","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"1. Separate Yourself"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"1b7c1134b520","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f1a3693dcf460","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shabbat, simply stated, is a separation. Consider your identity as separate from your career alone. Step away more often. Your to-do list will wait for you."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b52d9292951c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"dccab37ce00e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Journalist and author Judith Shulevitz said on "},{"_key":"398caa971cd6","_type":"span","marks":["96decc8bce2d","em"],"text":"The Ezra Klein Show"},{"_key":"6367353002ed","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":":"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"96decc8bce2d","_type":"link","href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ksg6cOleVo"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b520d104fef1","_type":"quote","body":"I think of all the rules around the Sabbath telling you to stop doing things, which are the should-nots, as creating a kind of frame... These are things that create meaning. They bound time and say this is going to be special.","quoteOptions":"quote"},{"_key":"fb629825f0b3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1052b2d0a0c80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You might think of Shabbat as restrictions: Refrain from work, do not plow the field, turn off technology, avoid purchasing goods. Look deeper to find the meaning of these actions. Women carry a heavy mental load. Sometimes it’s healthy to stop doing and start being."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"baa8d808e147","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e3ab53cdf50b0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"2. Structure for Growth"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"230b948c30da","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1496932d36640","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"People often ask me if keeping Shabbat is difficult. But it’s actually the opposite. Disconnecting brings feelings of connection. A seemingly rigid relationship with time can be liberating. Just like having role clarity at work, structure can empower you."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ef678a942874","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c74e86571ed30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When structuring your life, do you remember yourself? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel captures it best in his book, "},{"_key":"c74e86571ed31","_type":"span","marks":["61bdb3c5b82f","em"],"text":"The Sabbath"},{"_key":"c74e86571ed32","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":":"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"61bdb3c5b82f","_type":"link","href":"https://www.thecjm.org/learn_resources/348"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"aef964caa914","_type":"quote","body":"Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the Earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul… Six days a week we seek to dominate the world, on the seventh day we try to dominate the self.","quoteOptions":"quote"},{"_key":"94723e9a3e70","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"fa373fa365170","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As a leader, your influence can give others permission to prioritize pause. Personal growth comes not just through work but through life’s priorities."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b6cd2ec5cf2f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4ac9cce354510","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"3. Sanctify What Matters"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"0faeb0ab3b03","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4f4531146beb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shabbat matters to me. What’s important to you? Relationships, community, adventure?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8c147934dcb4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a861c4f74e070","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Consider the sanctity of time. If we are always available to everyone, leadership is not sustainable. Take time to be unreachable. Sanctify your schedule to reflect your priorities. Slow down and align with what matters most before you speed up."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"95b853f6a7db","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1e7ac8e126050","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"4. Set Boundaries"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"8579a4a80434","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a11ef83b15160","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Once you have carved out what truly matters to you, set boundaries. (And know when to break them!)"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e25b2eb7de5d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a187be79592e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shabbat sanctifies time. However, in Judaism, the sanctity of life supersedes religious commandments. Jewish law allows for exceptions. The only reason I would break Shabbat? For health. In the professional world, I have interrupted a meeting to take a call from school or camp to ensure my child is safe. What are your boundaries? Are there exceptions?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fc42c4dd3e71","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"db44b239e7da0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"5. Single-Task"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading4"},{"_key":"6aebff6278f2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"587beb3edb200","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Information overload can lead to poor decision-making and feeling overwhelmed."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"02d5469dd626","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2fd3857db02a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The quiet of Shabbat strengthens focus. While 25 hours off the grid is a significant pause, there are ways to infuse more focus into everyday life. When working from home, for instance, I take morning and afternoon walks to separate my workday from family time. Device breaks can be restorative; coffee with a colleague energizing."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3fee2df2ba9e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e6d3ad27bc2f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What I find to be most powerful is single-tasking: doing one thing at a time, a novel concept! Admit it, we can’t actually multitask. Writing an email, answering a Slack message — all during a meeting — merely involves rapidly switching tasks, which makes us less efficient and less present. Focus leads to flow."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d47fbf742bc5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9b0a7f5689a80","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Wear the Crown"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"dce3c0797fc3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ab66b99e7d7d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The benefits of Shabbat are available to all of us. I still get a kick out of telling others — especially executive women — that the Sabbath is personified as royal and feminine. As stated in the Talmud, ("},{"_key":"ab66b99e7d7d1","_type":"span","marks":["c95589931c27"],"text":"Shabbat 119a"},{"_key":"ab66b99e7d7d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"), Rabbi Hanina would put on fine clothing, “stand at nightfall on Shabbat eve, and say: ‘Come and we will go out to greet Shabbat the queen.’”"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"c95589931c27","_type":"link","href":"https://www.sefaria.org/Shabbat.119a.2?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c1846c81a52d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"38adcdf5b0ee0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Join me in this regal vision of Shabbat no matter if you are a queen or a king. 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Aren't we excited?’ Madison took me by the hand and took me into my home office and said, ‘Mommy, welcome.’ That's part of the reason why the company is called Madison Reed."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b7adb4205603","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"efeba51b71f10","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"On building a board that believes"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"c9ba55d9b8b3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d03225006f270","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Money matters when you're building a company, but the people around you matter more. As she explains to her fellow entrepreneurs: You don't just need funding. 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